Mr. Speaker, I have to disagree profoundly. The government was never opposed to suspension. In fact, that is what we suggested as the appropriate solution, pending the outcomes of appeals, and that is in fact what we recommended.
We made a case about where it should be determined and the process that should be followed. The Speaker made a ruling on this and invited the opposition House leader to make his motion. That is what has changed; not much. In fact, we are all on the same page.
If the hon. opposition House leader wants to quibble, I could stand here and say, look at his motion. It does not even contemplate expulsion. The one thing the statute talks about, that the member has to give up his seat, is not even in here. What caused him to change his position? What is so dramatic?
That kind of rhetoric may be useful and fun in a partisan way, but I think the matters we are seized with here are very serious. This is not a question of trying to gain that narrow partisan gain. Perhaps he never wanted to expel the member. Perhaps that is where he did not want to go. I will not make that argument because I do not think that is credible, nor are the arguments he is making right now credible.