The problem I have is that the proposed arrangement allows for 68 minutes of questioning. In a one-hour deposition, 10 minutes goes to the person or organization that will be presenting. That will leave 50 minutes. In a 50-minute scenario, that will cut the last three or four people from being able to ask questions. It cuts out two Conservatives. That's the problem I have with that. That's why I'm in accordance with the proposal that we made.
In the proposal that we made, if somebody needs to be cut at the end, it will be a New Democrat and a Conservative, and if three people need to be cut at the end because of the lack of time, it will be two Conservative and one New Democrat.
I find that to be reasonable. I find it to be a fair concession on our side. I think it is a very good compromise to move forward with.
I listened very carefully to everything that our friends from across the floor said. We're all here to represent Canadians. There are francophones all over this country. As we move forward, we all want to represent the francophone community and the anglo community fairly and equitably and professionally as one committee working properly.
Quite frankly, at the risk of sounding perhaps a little bit off, it's a real stretch when we count how many minutes are between when one party speaks and when another party speaks. Our proposal, in the first and second round, gives everybody an opportunity to speak. If somebody gets cut off at the end, it's not the member from the Liberal Party. He speaks in the first round, he'll speak in the third round, he'll speak in the fifth round. Every time we go around, even to our deposition, the third party will always have an opportunity to speak among the first speakers.
This proposal, our proposal, the initial motion by Mr. Galipeau, allows everybody to speak. If somebody gets cut off at the end, it will be the majority party and the opposition party. If more people need to be cut off, the next person to be cut will be a Conservative. I think that's very fair. I reject any suggestion that we are being unfair or that we don't want to reach a compromise to this impasse that we're at right now. In fact, it's the opposite. We see it the other way.
We're playing semantics now, back and forth. I don't think it's fair to any of us here. I don't think it's fair to Parliament. I don't think it's fair to Canadians, who voted us in to represent them.