I would like to speak to the amendment and to the motion at the same time, because the two go hand in hand.
Mr. Chair, from the outset, Parliament has always denied independent members of Parliament the right to participate in meetings of parliamentary committees studying bills. With unanimous consent, they may participate in those meetings and ask questions, as has happened with our committee, but they have no right to vote nor to make amendments or anything else. That has always been the tradition.
Today we have a motion that, I feel, takes away a privilege. It actually deprives an independent member of the right to put forward amendments in the same way as we all can do it. That takes away a privilege. Who are we to change a rule of Parliament?
I would like us to discuss this. It will really be a major change. All political parties have always been of the opinion that a party should be recognized in committee, so that the members of each party have the same privileges as all other members. Independent members have these privileges in the House of Commons.
Certainly, other committees have agreed to study the matter and to invite independent members to come and make presentations and provide their opinions and their impressions before votes are taken. But according to this proposal, we are inviting them to come and present their amendments to the committee; we are not asking for their opinion. I think this is an attack on the privilege that those members have. We are making decisions for them without even consulting them.
We're not even consulting them and I think that stay.... The motion is on the floor, it's here, and we say before we vote on it that we'll bring them in and hear them. We're all grown-ups. We'll hear them out with respect to the members of Parliament. After that, if a decision has to be taken, we'll take the decision.
The government still has its majority and they will make the decision, but I think it's just normal that we say if we're going to do something here that intervenes in the right of privilege of other members, that those members should be here or invited. If they don't want to come, fine. But I think we should say we'll bring them in. We'll hear them. Then after we hear them, we will make that decision.
I recommend that members of other parties consider whether that is a good idea. I would like to hear what government members have to say about it.
This is a major change. In my opinion, this change could have been made at the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs. Changing a rule that has existed since Parliament began is a major change. It is very significant. The party leaders should come together to discuss it. That is what the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs is for.
A new rule could even come from the House directly. I know that committees are masters of their own decisions, but, at least we would be able to see which way the wind is blowing and whether we want to change a rule like that. It does not seem acceptable to me to vote on matters related to a bill without giving those members an opportunity to come here and have their say.
It is a privilege to be a member of Parliament. Members have privileges, even independent members, because they are elected by Canadians. They have always had privileges. But now we want to take away that privilege of moving amendments...
Do not raise your hands to the heavens, Mr. Gourde. We are not in church; you will not find the Lord here.
All of a sudden, we want to deprive those members of a privilege that they already have in the House? According to this motion before us today, we are inviting them to come here to move amendments; but they already have the right to do that in the House.
I would like to hear what government members have to say about this. I would like to know whether committee members belonging to the government party are ready to invite independent members to tell us what they think about the motion. When they have had their say, we will continue to study it and see what happens.
