Madam Chair, I am particularly put out that the minister does not agree with us, but we are used to that.
We must remember that this department is responsible for a wide range of activities. If I am not mistaken, no other department is responsible for so many activities. I believe one-third of Canada's budget goes through this department. When ministers appear here they make a 10 or 15-minute presentation and we learn about the contents as we go, so we have to form an opinion very quickly about what they are telling us. I think that even one hour ahead of time is very short. I don't know if there is a formal protocol that requires ministers to make presentations in this format, but I think this format does not respect our responsibilities. We are just here for the symbolism, every time.
We had the minister here, and we were able to ask her a few very quick questions, based roughly on the notion of what we had been told, without a little time to think about it. That is why I think this is a useful motion and quite respectful of the duties of the various ministers who appear here. We say we will set aside at least 90 minutes, perhaps twice a year, in this committee whose ostensible purpose is to advise the department. That does not seem very restrictive. This motion seems quite obvious. It even seems a little timid compared to what we really should be asking for.