Mr. Speaker, I remind the hon. member that it has been an important innovation in parliamentary reform by the government that all private members' business is treated on a free vote basis. Also, the committees are masters of their own agendas.
I am glad the hon. member asked his question because it gives me the opportunity to remind the House that the bill of the hon. member for York South-Weston has been restored to the Order Paper and sent back to the committee where it was before prorogation. This is because of the initiative taken by this government, again for the first time in Parliamentary history, to restore private members' business after prorogation in exactly the same way as has been done in the past only for government business.
I also remind the House that the Reform Party totally opposed the government's motion to allow the restoration of private members' bills like that of the hon. member for York South-Weston. If it had its way the bill of the hon. member for York South-Weston would have been dead and buried forever but we, the Liberals, prevented that.