Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you to Mr. Strahl for the opportunity, after his riveting two-hour intervention. With that, I have to say, Mr. Chair, that we will be supporting clause 124.
However, I'm sort of perplexed over the process right now, all of a sudden, when we're down to our last three or four clauses to pass, including the amendments attached. I say “perplexed” simply because we went through clause-by-clause on clauses 1 to 124 out of, I believe, about 126 clauses, not including the schedule, short title, title, the bill as amended, and reporting the bill to the House. The last very important motion would be on whether or not we would order a reprint. I'm sure that will be a two-hour discussion as well.
With that all said, I'm perplexed because, Mr. Chair, we've had a great deal of discussion and debate on all of the clauses. That discussion was very important, because those clauses included amendments. That brings me to my point. If there was such a concern with what the process included.... I have to give a lot of credit to both the NDP and the Bloc, who brought many amendments forward. The Conservatives brought a few forward as well.
I'm perplexed Mr. Chair, because if there's concern, then why, for clauses before 123 and 124—which we're speaking about right now and we're going into clause 125, on which I'm sure we're going to have another two-hour discussion—were no amendments brought forward by the Conservatives? You would think there would be something on clauses 1 to 124. The concerns brought forward are valid. I respect that. Amendments that I would only assume were put forward to deal with those concerns were voted on, after debate. We have been moving forward in a very expeditious manner, only to now come to the last two or three clauses. Of course, we've been discussing those last two or three clauses for the past four meetings.
Mr. Chair, I'm actually a bit confused. I've been here for eight years.
Mr. Chair, again, I can't understand Mr. Strahl and members of the Conservative Party. To expedite this bill—as we have done with other bills in the past—if in fact there are concerns and thoughts given to the different clauses, I would actually recommend that we not spend two hours reading a document that's been around for quite some time. Let's get some work done by bringing some amendments forward and polishing up some of the clauses that in fact some of the members might have a concern with.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.