Mr. Speaker, earlier today you ruled that I could not raise a question of privilege regarding the putting of a motion on time allocation, even though the notice of time allocation had been given by the government House leader and we knew that it was going to be before the House.
If I could point out three other points on that point, I would like to raise it as a point of order.
First, on October 8, 1997 the hon. member for Winnipeg—Transcona raised a question of privilege regarding the closing of debate on Bill C-2. He did it in exactly the same manner in which I would have liked to have done it today. In other words, there has been notice of time allocation. We know it is coming. The member for Winnipeg—Transcona raised a question of privilege and spoke to it. You accepted the question at that time, Mr. Speaker, and he made his arguments to you at that time.
Second, on Motion No. 8, which was previously before parliament, we had discussion before the motion actually was tabled in the House. It was on the notice paper and we in the House were seized of it before it was actually moved. Eventually that motion was withdrawn.
Third, in the last parliament the Speaker also ruled that a member could not raise a point of order about the acceptability of a motion if the motion had already been accepted by the Chair. In other words, Mr. Speaker, once you accept the motion we have to accept that it is in order.
You have put me in a bit of a catch-22 in asking me to wait until the motion is tabled, because once it is tabled I am not allowed to speak to it.
If I could, I would like to raise as a point of order the reasons I think you should hear this as a point of order. I think it is a point of privilege, but I will present it to you, if you wish, as a point of order as to why the motion of time allocation put by the government House leader is unacceptable.