Mr. Speaker, this is an interesting and an important point having to do with a brand new procedure in the House. In order to bring as much clarity to the matter as possible, it is valuable, as the chair of the committee has indicated, for all of us to treat this matter in a serious and civil manner. I appreciate the tone of the discussion.
Referring specifically to the standing order that has been cited, if I could quote a few words:
If such a question remains unanswered at the expiration of the said period of forty-five days, the matter of the failure of the Ministry to respond shall be deemed referred to the appropriate Standing Committee. Within five sitting days of such a referral the Chair of the committee shall convene a meeting of the committee to consider the matter of the failure of the Ministry to respond.
The standing order does not prescribe how the committee will dispose of the matter. It simply requires that when that time clock goes by and 45 days have passed without the answer having been filed, then the matter goes to a committee within five days and the committee is to consider the matter.
That is not to say or to prejudge in any manner what that consideration will be. That is obviously up to the committee.
In this instance the chairman of the committee has informed us that the question turned out to be just one day late. I believe he said that by the time the committee met to consider the matter, the answer to the question had in fact been filed and that those were factors that members of the committee might take into account, in the words of the standing order, in giving consideration to the matter.
Accordingly, it would be a perfectly legitimate conclusion on your part, Mr. Speaker, that the committee has in this case done exactly what the standing order required it to do. It met within five days and it considered the matter. As a part of that consideration it took into account the fact that the answer to the question was only one day late and that the answer had been filed by the time the committee actually met, and that it could then move on with other business.
What this standing order does is to provide a very useful discipline in the rules about the prompt and timely answering of questions.
I close with the thought that it is important for all members of the ministry to remember that the 45 day rule is there. It is our obligation as ministers of the crown to do our very best to respond to members of parliament within that prescribed time.