We all agree that during the first round, the chair will recognize all opposition parties first, followed by a representative of the government party. This is not a contentious issue. Each party has seven minutes.
For the second round, it was my understanding that the chair will recognize the opposition first, then move on to the Bloc and then to the government, ending with an NDP representative. The opposition parties do not ask questions one after the other. It's important to understand the order followed during the second five-minute round of questioning.
I'm a firm believer in the principle that every member must be given the opportunity to speak. If we want members to attend committee meetings, they must all be given a chance to speak. However, I didn't think that during the second round, the Official Opposition would go first, followed by the Bloc, the government and then the NDP.