The effort and work that we've put into those sequences and how this questioning works is that for the four rounds, when you divide up.... And very rarely does this committee go more than four rounds. I know it is technically possible, but very rarely does a committee go further than four rounds. The system I'm moving as a motion actually allows for each member of this committee the opportunity to question witnesses and obviously to comment if they so choose.
The other aspect of this, which is part two, which I think deals with Mr. Lamoreux's concern, is that when you divide up the minutes and allocate those minutes specifically to the parties, you will see that it almost--not precisely, but within one percent--identifies the percentage that each party holds in the House of Commons. So each party is being treated fairly. Each party is getting an equitable percentage of time for questioning of witnesses and the opportunity obviously to use that time as they see fit. I've tried as much as possible to be fair, and I think we'll learn quickly that the process we will use is a good one.
I understand that in the previous Parliaments--certainly the previous two that I've sat in--there was the position of the opposition going first in the opening round. I certainly accept that when in fact during those two Parliaments the opposition held more seats in the House of Commons than the government did. So while I certainly at the time would have preferred to have the government going first, the fact is that the opposition held more seats and therefore retained the right to question witnesses first.
The government now holds more seats in the House, and I think they reserve the opportunity to question witnesses first.
Thank you.