Mr. Speaker, I am sure that all members of the committee are striving to make this House a more welcome place for persons who represent the diversity of this country.
To that end, at our meeting in June of this year there was a discussion that took place in the committee about the advisability of adopting more rigid rules in respect of members who abuse their freedom of speech in this House by using abusive, racist, or sexist language. In that regard, we studied briefly and intend to go back to studying the examples set in other jurisdictions where for example members are suspended for a more extended period than is now the case, where there is a loss of pay for members who engage in this kind of conduct, where there is a loss of travel and telephone privileges in respect of those members, and where there is expulsion from the parliamentary precinct, not just from the House, for members who engage in this kind of conduct. All those matters are being considered by the committee at this time.