We have witnesses on Tuesday, Mr. Chair, and for us to say we set a deadline for amendments and then have witnesses who I think will be adding a lot of content to Bill C-24, it just doesn't make sense. It's not logical. It doesn't make sense to say “Well, we appreciate your testimony, but we've already closed off the possibility for amendments”.
I can understand Ms. Guergis's concern that we set a date. We're talking about a couple of days more and witnesses appearing on Tuesday. It's through nobody's fault that today's session was with the trade officials rather than with the witnesses who we brought forward. That was unfortunate, but that's what happened.
So, given that we had to change that date, it makes sense to keep the possibility for amendments open until the end of the business day on Tuesday so there would be time, from the testimony, for any direct amendments that any member around this committee chooses to be put forward--and it respects the witnesses, as well.