Mr. Speaker, there are a number of things that the Chair may want to consider before it rules as to whether or not this a prima facie question of privilege.
First the member referred to proposed Bill C-2 and that recommendations would be made by the minister. In other words, in both instances where the hon. member across the way made such references, he made references to things that were not definitive, namely a proposal and a recommendation as opposed to a specific action of appointment.
Second, when referring to the March 9, 1990 decision, the hon. member recognized that the action at that time did not constitute a question of privilege. Again in 1991 the advertising at that time was not deemed to be a question of privilege because, according to the hon. member and I agree with him, it did not jeopardize the passage of the bill.
One would have to be pretty hard pressed today in the House of Commons to arrive at the judgment that the House would be influenced to pass or not pass the bill, as to whether or not a proposal has been made or recommended to have people to sit on an advisory committee to recommend others to sit on a future committee to be put in place after the passage of the bill. As such, it would be overstating the facts considerably.
No one is saying that the government in that advertisement will put this bill in place or put in place the eventual board of directors whether the bill is passed or not. That is not claimed at all by the government. As a matter of fact, I say to the people across the way that this is an advisory committee to recommend people to sit on a future committee. Of course the future committee would only exist with the passage of the bill.
Obviously if the bill does not pass there is no need to have the permanent committee in place. Nor do I think the government would ever consider putting such a permanent committee in place if that were the case. It is an advisory committee to select members to sit on the future permanent committee which is not yet in place.
One has to hold the following proposition before Canadians and before Your Honour this afternoon. The bill if passed, and I would like to say when passed, will come into force next January 1. If it does not pass, it will cost Canadian taxpayers the sum of $400 million if there is a delay of one year. Therefore the government has to be ready with all the proper recommendations just prior to the January 1 tentative implementation date. The implementation date will only be firm once the bill is finally passed.
Once the bill is passed, the government would only be prudent to take the necessary lead time to make the necessary preparation in order to then have at that time the final nomination of the people for the permanent committee. It is the prudent thing to do. It is one that saves taxpayers dollars which is essential not only in the eyes of the federal government but in the eyes of the eight provinces that have signed on to the agreement and even in the eyes of the other two that have also said they want to place people on the board of directors should it come into place once the bill is adopted.