Before I allow any more debate, and I'm hoping we can get to the question, I want to remind members, first of all, the new members, to make sure you get familiar with House of Commons Procedure and Practice, O'Brien and Bosc, the last edition that we have. Chapter 20 deals with committees.
As committees, we are masters of our own domain--or, if you want, masters of our own demise. Essentially, we're here to set up the rules that govern us the way we see best. There's no question that every committee has different subcommittees. Every committee that I've ever served on always had a parliamentary secretary, even when I was in opposition. The parliamentary secretary served on the subcommittee on agenda and procedure. Just so you know, the subcommittee is still at the service of this main standing committee.
This is on page 969 of O'Brien and Bosc:
Once established, subcommittees carry out their own work within the mandate entrusted to them. They are free to adopt rules to govern their activities, provided these are consistent with the framework established by the main committee. Subcommittees report to their main committee with respect to resolutions, motions or reports they wish the main committee to concur in.
So even as we set an agenda, we have to report that back to the main committee, and the main committee has to adopt it.
Proposals by a steering committee as to how the main committee's work is to be organized must be approved by the committee itself. In every case, this is achieved by having the subcommittee adopt a report for presentation to the main committee. Unless the House or the committees decide otherwise, main committees may amend the reports of their subcommittees before concurring in them.
The way I've always carried out business under subcommittees is I tried to work on consensus, because we have to get it approved anyway by the main committee. When I was on the environment committee, the parliamentary secretary served on a subcommittee. When I was on the agriculture committee in both opposition and in government, the parliamentary secretary served on those subcommittees. Although that may not have been the practice of the national defence committee, every committee has the power to set their own agenda.
Seeing that there are no more speakers, Mr. Alexander, can you read that motion into the record one more time?