Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in support of second reading of this bill.
Under the procedures the House adopted a little over a year ago, we changed the rules with respect to the drafting of bills. As I indicated in my speech on the concurrence in the report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs on February 9, this bill has been drafted by the committee and has now been introduced by the government in response to the committee's recommendation which was adopted by the House.
The order of the House constituted a direction to the government to bring in this bill. The bill is in substantially the same form as what the committee recommended. There have been some minor changes in technical aspects of the language and one earth shattering change that brings the bill into force on royal assent rather than on the date of proclamation. That I am sure has not upset anyone. It is a very minor technical change and one that the committee considered but opted for what it thought was the more convenient. It turns out that the government felt the other was more convenient and made the appropriate change in the bill.
I am looking forward to the study of this bill in the committee on procedure and House affairs.
At our meeting this week, the Leader of the Opposition indicated that the Bloc Quebecois would like an opportunity to speak during second reading of this bill. We accept their request and hope that today's speech will mean a saving in time later on during consideration of the bill.
This is why we are allowing the debate today, although the Standing Orders do not provide for debate at the second reading of a bill, as a general rule.
I am happy to have agreed to the debate today. I look forward to the speech of the hon. member from the Bloc who will be speaking on this matter. I recommend the bill to the House as I did on February 9. As I said everything that I think could be said about this good bill on that date I see no need to prolong my remarks today. I support the bill and invite the House to do the same.