Colleagues, the points are well taken on both sides. I do not come from another venue. I am one of you and I can understand many of the frustrations when a member is in opposition.
I can also understand, having served in government, that the government has a right to get on with its legislation. Therefore there are two things to be balanced here.
Your Speaker is always guided by the rules of the House of Commons. He is also guided by the precedents of other Speakers and in other Parliaments.
I heard today that in this circumstance one of the committees of the House is trying to-I hate to use the word rectify-at least ameliorate the situation so all sides can get on with what the hon. member for Fraser Valley East has said is their job, to represent the people of their constituencies.
On the specific point of privilege, the Speaker will respond to a report from the committee. That is the responsibility of the Speaker. However, your Speaker cannot be expected to be in all committees, to know precisely what is happening in all committees, except through their chairs which the House has approved.
We now have a circumstance of a committee's carrying out its responsibilities. That all members do not agree with what is happening in the committee is normal for this place.
However, I will wait until I have a report from the committee. When the report comes in, whatever is in there, if the hon. member at that time chooses to raise a point of privilege, I give notice now, as is the precedent of the House, that I will hear the point of privilege.
Concerning the rules stating a member must make intervention as soon as possible, the hon. member has done that. He is here now in front of me. Should it be brought up again at a future date, when the report of the committee comes out your Speaker will entertain such a point of privilege.
However, for the time being it is my decision that the committees are masters of their own work and that committee work must follow procedure and be brought to us here in the House. If there is a problem which can only be resolved by the House, then the House will become seized of it.
However, I rule at this time the hon. member, with all due respect, does not have a point of privilege.