Mr. Speaker, I want to respond on a point of order expressing some concerns about the report just given by the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs.
We are rather concerned that there have been a very limited number of bills that have been eligible to go on the Order Paper. We substituted that opportunity to debate legislation with take note debates. I certainly do not want to express the view that we are against take note debates. But it seems like they are being placed in substitution for actual bills to debate.
There are only three bills to my understanding that could be placed on the Order Paper this week. The minister did not announce the introduction of any new bills.
Our concern is what is happening with the starvation of legislation in the House is causing bills to be rammed through committee stage much more quickly than members of those committees have an opportunity to deal with those bills in a substantial way.
In light of the indication we got earlier that committees would have time to do their job and would receive new importance in this House in dealing with legislation, I would urge the government to provide more legislation for us to deal with in this House so that bills may not be rammed through at committee stage, but have proper time for discussion, amendments and witnesses to appear.