Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy New Year in 2007.
When the letter was drafted -- and I thank my colleagues who agreed to sign it -- the circumstances were as follows. The Minister had announced to us that he would hold consultations on local telephone service between December 15 and January 15. We felt that this timeframe truly did not allow for a proper consultative process.
Moreover, the Minister informed us of his decision to disregard the motion passed by the committee on October 26, 2006 requesting that it be given until March 1 to review the instructions given to the CRTC and to report back to the House. The Minister ultimately disregarded the committee's recommendation, which in my view, is tantamount to being in contempt of court, or, if you like, to showing contempt for Parliament and the committee. For that reason, I feel it's important to call the Minister before the committee to explain his actions.
Regarding the second item, the issue is ensuring that these consultations can in fact take place during the month of February and up until March 1. The report on the manufacturing sector is ready to be tabled. All that's left is for the committee to hold an informal meeting, which it should be able to do on Wednesday. Unlike the Minister, who decided to disregard the motion that was passed, we want to uphold our commitment and present him with a report by March 1, or at the latest before the two-week break beginning March 5. Our objective today could be to agree to a motion that would read as follows: the committee requests that the Minister be called to testify as soon as possible to explain his decision to disregard the motion passed by the committee on October 26 and suggests a timetable for reporting to the House by March 1, as planned, on the issue of deregulation.
Included in this timetable could be scheduled appearances by members of the Telecommunications Policy Review Panel which drafted a report on telecommunications. We could then hear from groups that have already testified or may wish to do so, that is consumer groups as well as large companies, whether cable broadcasters or telephone companies such as Bell and Telus. The ultimate goal of this exercise is to hear again from the Minister on the regulatory process, to discuss perceptions with him and to report back to the House by March 5.
A motion is needed if we are to settle this matter and carry out our mandate. The Minister needs to explain his actions to us. In my opinion, he has failed to comply with the resolution adopted last fall by the committee. Perhaps someone could second this motion.