Mr. Chairman, the point raised by the hon. member is an interesting point of general principle and theory. The hon. member has raised it within the standing committee on foreign affairs of this Parliament and the standing committee has created a task force or a subcommittee which is studying the matter of general principle.
I can say without exaggeration that this is a very strong subcommittee in the sense, as has often been said, of very strong courts. Our view would be that the amendment would affect a fundamental change, as is clearly intended, in the constitutional law of parliament. We leave open positions on this, but our suggestion would be that it is not proper to make it within the interstices of an amendment to a technical law before parliament. It should be considered as a matter of general principle as has already been foreseen by the standing committee on foreign affairs in creating the task force.
Our suggestion to the hon. member, therefore, would be that he should withdraw the proposed amendment at this stage. We would undertake that the general principle would be discussed by the task force. It would always be appropriate, if and when the task force makes a recommendation, to propose amendments to the legislation and others, if and when it is adopted. That would be our position.
In a technical sense it is constitutionally inelegant to propose a fundamental constitutional change in the law of parliament by indirection. Therefore we would suggest to the hon. member that he might withdraw the amendment. We would undertake to give full speed to the study by this impressive task force which has a very well qualified chairman. I believe the other members are equally well qualified.