Mr. Speaker, I noted that you had some concern that you did not work through the entire list of questioners during question period. I want to respectfully suggest why that happened.
The Minister of Health was on her feet today at least 15 to 20 times. Every one of those responses went overtime. You had to consistently get up, and I know you are generous to us when we all do that. However when a minister of the Crown, who we knew would be up quite a bit today because of the Romanow report and some of the other health issues out there, consistently does that over and over again, then that is why you do not get to the end of your list. Who gets punished? Not the government side, but the opposition parties, particularly the smaller opposition parties located at this end of the chamber.
I know I have to be very careful, Mr. Speaker, because I do not want to be critical of you. In your generosity I know you are reluctant sometimes to stand and cut off a minister, or in fact some of us, which you could do at any moment with me. However the fact of the matter is that even some of her colleagues today were wincing. They understood that she was going overtime. The minister understood, but she did it consistently.
What I am saying is if you want to get to the end of that list every day, would you exercise your authority over the Minister of Health when she continues to do this day in and day out in this place.