Mr. Speaker, my address concerns the same point of order raised by my friend from Acadie—Bathurst. This is indeed a very serious procedural question. Allow me to explain.
You know that we currently have 22 operational parliamentary committees. One of their main activities is clause by clause study of various bills. Another function, which has fallen to committees is the consideration of certain reports and certain questions, the manner of which is left to the committees.
I do not intend to elaborate on this latter mandate of the committees, but rather on their primary mandate, which is the clause by clause study of bills referred to them by the House. We must have more ample instructions from the Chair on matters that entail monetary commitments on the part of the government, which are not amendable by the committees. This would facilitate the whole task. We must in fact draw a distinction with a private member's bill that involves a monetary expenditure. We realize that private members' business involving are not in order.
As for the purpose of a bill, however, at the time of clause by clause study, it is clear that there are monetary implications. I am informed that the chair of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills Development, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities has decided that this could not be amended because money was involved.
Consequently, Mr. Speaker, it is for this reason that your decision is important. If committees cannot amend clauses dealing with financial commitments, you will understand the difficulty in justifying the continued existence of parliamentary committees. What will be the use of having them if they cannot amend clauses that have a monetary impact?
That is why I support the point of order raised by my friend from Acadie—Bathurst.