Mr. Speaker, I move that the sixth report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage presented on Thursday, December 3, 1998, be concurred in.
It is important to note that there were some issues from the particular report tabled in the House. One of the issues is televised committees, which I want to address through this discussion.
Hon. members will find that the people who were travelling on this report need not have done so, had the particular committee televised its proceedings. I do not believe the committee could have televised its proceedings because the rules are such that they do not permit it, and I will tell hon. members why.
We have gone through this issue in the House and we will continue to go through it in the House until we find some way to deal with it properly.
We had a report come from the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, for instance, that dealt with televised committees. I will read one of the recommendations of that committee: “Members feel that it would now be appropriate to extend the coverage of committee proceedings. To permanently equip another room for broadcasting committees, however, is not feasible or desirable at this time, both because of the cost involved and the ongoing renovations on Parliament Hill”. This issue was unanimous in that committee.
I guess what I want to talk a bit about is what exactly is wrong with committees in the House of Commons. I have my colleagues here going from—