Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I enjoyed your commentary at the outset about being chair for all. I don't think comparison of when the 2006 government returned to when this government returned helps the conversation, but your point was that the government did form in November and called Parliament back. Now essentially we have had three months of inaction on this committee. My modest proposal is to start the witness collection for at least the first topic. I don't think I would need to consult my constituents to say terrorism and issues related to radicalization are some things that the public safety committee should be seized with.
There might be differences of opinion on whether it would be first versus third, but my proposal was to make sure that we start allowing the time to have witnesses prepared and contacted. Otherwise we will have to explain to his constituents and to mine why this committee has not sat on a substantive basis for over four months, approaching half a year. With a number of agenda items, as my friend mentioned earlier, why would we not start at least to get the first one rolling? To be fair, that's why the Conservative Party brought two subjects. This is not to say it's our way or the highway, but it would allow the time for preparations so that by March we would at least get to hear a few witnesses. If we build in a few more weeks of delay so that people can consult, we essentially are looking at nothing substantive until April and that concerns the official opposition.