Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw your attention to the question asked by the member for Nepean and the response by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs in question period today.
I would also like to draw your attention, Mr. Speaker, to Standing Order 37(1) which states:
Questions on matters of urgency may, at the time specified in Standing Order 30(5), be addressed orally to Ministers of the Crown, provided however that, if in the opinion of the Speaker a question is not urgent, he or she may direct that it be placed on the Order Paper.
The Order Paper allows, immediately following question period, for the tabling of documents and statements by ministers.
It was quite obvious from the question posed and the response by the parliamentary secretary that this was a pre-planned and orchestrated question and answer to get the information out on the floor of the House of Commons. I do not think that it was a matter of urgency if it was orchestrated and pre-planned, as it obviously was.
Since we are now moving into Routine Proceedings, that would allow the government to table that particular document. I think this type of information should be tabled at the appropriate time and question period is not the appropriate time.