Order, please. The House in committee of the whole on Government Business No. 5.
Before I call the debate and because we are endeavouring into uncharted waters, I will make a few opening remarks as to how this debate will be conducted.
While there have been take note debates in the House on many previous occasions, tonight we are dealing with a slightly different situation.
The motion under which we are meeting provides that the debate will be conducted under our standing orders for committees of the whole, namely, that no member shall speak for more than 20 minutes with no period of questions and comments. Second, that members may speak more than once. Third, that members need not to be in their own seat to be recognized. That is why we see our hon. friend from Brandon—Souris so close to the Chair this evening.
That being said, I understand this format has been chosen to create a more informal atmosphere that will promote genuine dialogue among members on this issue. In that sense I believe we are embarking on something of an experiment.
As your Chair, I must be guided by the rules of the committee of the whole. However, if members, and only if members agree, I would be prepared to exercise discretion and flexibility in the application of these rules. That way I hope all participants can make good use of their time and take full advantage of the availability and accessibility of ministers.
With the co-operation of all members, I hope we may all learn some valuable lessons tonight about how this type of debate can best be conducted, so as to be a productive forum for exploring issues of public policy.
I look forward to your co-operation. Myself and other occupants during the debate will demonstrate the flexibility that hopefully will allow us to create a forum of discussion on public policy that will be attractive to members on both sides of the House and if not more important to all Canadians.