Mr. Speaker, I would like to respond to my hon. colleague's point of order. He indeed does have the right to hear the question. If he was in his seat, as I believe he was, when you began reading the question and he could not hear it, he could have asked you to repeat it.
However, what the Liberals do not have a right to do is that while you are repeating the question, to scurry in and think that they can become part of the votes. Once you begin the question, Mr. Speaker, at that precise moment only members of Parliament who are in their seats are eligible to vote. You could certainly repeat it 45 times until the hon. member has heard it. However, what we cannot have in this place, on a vote of confidence, are members who were not in their seats when you began the question, which you have already acknowledged you did, being allowed to participate in this vote of confidence.
We ask you, Mr. Speaker, to suspend the House until we can ascertain, with full confidence, who was in their seats on both sides when you began the question.