Thank you, Mr. Chair.
In fact, I would like to echo the comments made by a number of colleagues in the debate on this issue. My colleague Ms. Michaud has raised a major point. I agree with her. I am also more or less comfortable with the idea of voting on a motion that should not perhaps be voted on in our committee.
My colleague's question is very relevant. The quote from O'Brien and Bosc's reference work on procedure is very relevant in this case. I don't think it is necessary to rely on what the other committees did or didn't do, decided or didn't decide. Every committee is master of its own decisions. For some motions, I think it is very important to give full consideration to the laws that govern our parliamentary system and to rely on them. That is the duty of parliamentarians.
I would also like to echo the remarks made by my colleague Mr. Norlock, who is on the government side. We had a number of good discussions and heard from various witnesses in this committee. The clash of ideas is extremely interesting. I think it is important to go back to what my colleague said about partisanship. This is the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security. So it is perfectly normal for parties like ours with differences of opinion to hold discussions and not always agree. In our election platforms based on which Canadian voters elected us, we must not lose sight of why we were elected.
I would not call it partisanship. This has to do with doing a good job representing our communities and our values. In this committee, we have always done so with great respect. Since my colleague has sat with us on this committee since the first session of the 41st Parliament, he knows we have a very interesting clash of ideas and it is normal for us to disagree on some issues. This is a democracy and we are here to express our views. We do so with respect and we sort of set our partisanship aside in our debates. We defend our viewpoints while respecting each other's. That is what I really like about this committee.
I just wanted to reiterate the point raised by my colleague Ms. Michaud. I would like us to look at the rules on that. Once this point is clarified, we will be happy to vote on the motion.
I appreciate all the comments on this issue.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.