Foreign Affairs committee  It's in the definition section, and usually you phrase a definition in the singular. I think that's the answer to your question. You'll see that in the original bill: “committee” is singular, “competent minister” is singular, and so on. So I think that's the answer to your questi

Foreign Affairs committee  No, that's not the way I read it.

Foreign Affairs committee  You need to read the two together, because in the definition section it is singular, and then in the amendment to subclause 4(2) it says, “civil society organizations”--plural.

Foreign Affairs committee  That's fair. I understand.

Foreign Affairs committee  I will entertain an amendment from the chair on that.

Foreign Affairs committee  I've exhausted it.

Foreign Affairs committee  You seem to have a lot more fun than the finance committee.

Foreign Affairs committee  Where it says “Committee” in clause 3, under “Interpretation”--“means the Advisory Committee”, that's deleted.

Foreign Affairs committee  Yes, because the committee no longer exists.

Foreign Affairs committee  Every government has organizations with whom they would like to consult and some with whom they don't. At this point, the committee is gone, the petitioning process is gone. The key obligation the minister has is in subclause 4(2), which says, “the competent minister may consult

Foreign Affairs committee  No. The committee is gone, the petitioning is gone--

Foreign Affairs committee  The concept of the committee is gone, and what the minister is left with is an obligation to Parliament to consult. And she has to then be able to demonstrate that she consulted, that her assistance contributes to poverty reduction, that it takes into account the perspectives of

Foreign Affairs committee  Well, the bill, presumably, would be redundant and unnecessary, except that this committee has received ample testimony that it's not being done. As Madam McDonough said, this has been going on since 2003, so this is the fruition at the end of three years.

Foreign Affairs committee  I'm actually being very precise about what--

Foreign Affairs committee  You don't want precision?