Madam Speaker, it is not complicated, the same motion presented in the 36th Parliament, concerning returning officers, did not require that the table officers of the House of Commons to demand royal recommendation. It was the case in the last Parliament. However, they now require it for the same motion, which was recently introduced. There cannot be double standards, and this is why I say that the royal recommendation was demanded in a much more restrictive fashion.
Among other things, the clerk tells us that a royal recommendation is required, because the amendment which is mentioned previously was debated, voted upon, etc. Even then it did not require a royal recommendation. The fact is that those services indicate that his bill requires a royal recommendation because it takes projects away from the governor in council, which has the aim of changing the royal recommendation.
A royal recommendation is required when a bill involves the expenditure of substantial money. The member has said that the reason the table officers require a royal recommendation is that it involves taking powers away from the executive branch. If we can no longer deal with powers, or responsibilities, or money, it is time to close up shop, because we can no longer move motions.
The other reason they refused the royal recommendation is that the bill provided returning officers be appointed for a ten year mandate. A ten year mandate instead of a four or five year mandate does not imply additional money, because this money is related to the holding of a general election or not. This only means that the people are guaranteed to have a mandate for a longer period. The government says that this is why the royal recommendation is required. It makes no sense. I know that even my colleague from Glengarry—Prescott Russell agrees with me on this issue. I see him nodding.
Bill C-9 provided for entering the conclusion of contracts, memoranda of understanding or other arrangements in the name of Her Majesty in right of Canada. My colleague said that we would want to enter with the Quebec government into agreements providing for the transfer to Quebec of federal funds allocated to programs. When the bill mentions that the government gives itself the power to enter into agreements, arrangements, protocols, contracts, and that my colleague says that we would want to enter into agreements with the Quebec government, and that this requires a royal recommendation, there is something wrong.
I know that my colleague, who was a parliamentary leader for a long time and who knows me well, knows that I would not have raised these issues lightly and needlessly. These are issues that deserve consideration, because a mistake was made by the House table officers. Since they never made a mistake in 11 years, I would like them to maintain a perfect score before I leave this House and I would like to have the fondest of memories of them.