Well, the hon. member says that they are full barrels. I am not sure what they are full of.
I would like to deal with a few of the proposals in the bill. Rather than being distracted by the comments from the other side, I would prefer to stick to my own views on this bill today.
I want first to praise the minister for agreeing to allow the bill to be referred to committee before second reading. I believe it gives the committee maximum scope-notwithstanding the criticisms we have heard from the other side about this-to effect change to this bill should it find the provisions in the bill are unsatisfactory.
We know from the previous speaker's comments that the bill purports to repeal the Statutory Instruments Act and replace the definition of statutory instruments with a new definition of regulation. It allows among its provisions for the incorporation by reference of regulations or of descriptions in other documents promulgated by other organizations or other governments.
I know the hon. member for Bourassa in his remarks referred to clause 16 of the bill, which says that a regulation may incorporate by reference material produced by a person or body other than the regulatory authority, including a personal body such as an industrial or trade organization and a government agency or international body. He expressed some concern about that.
I have an additional concern. In clause 19 of the bill it says "Material does not become a regulation for the purposes of this act because it is incorporated by reference in a regulation". I have a slight concern, because a regulation is referred to the Standing Joint Committee on Scrutiny of Regulations. Will the material incorporated by reference also be referred to that committee? I believe it is important that it be so referred. If clause 19 will be argued as a means for saying that it is not before the committee, I would have concerns. That is a point that should be clarified in the course of the committee proceedings on this bill.
I note that clause 25 of the bill, which refers regulations to committees, does constitute an improvement over the existing law. There are certain statutory instruments currently now adopted that do not come before the scrutiny of regulations committee. The definition contained in this act widens the scope of the committee's work to allow it to see more than was otherwise the case.
I have attempted through questioning to elicit the lists of the kinds of things that would not now be referred to the committee, but without a lot of success. I fully anticipate the government operations committee in the course of its deliberations on this bill will be able to get that information. I am looking forward to seeing the list and I will review it of course with some care.
The fact that there is a wider definition of those things being referred is significant. I believe it represents an advance in the law. I am surprised to hear the hon. member for Bourassa
-and his colleagues, the hon. members for Québec-Est and Chambly, expressing negative views on this bill.