Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, while your committee was debating the Tobacco Tax Act, a motion that would amend the tax was presented by Mr. Zoe. Following some discussion of the matter in committee of the whole -- there was quite a lengthy debate on it -- Mr. Zoe moved to withdraw his amendments. The chairman received a point of order from the Honourable Mr. Nerysoo following the decision the chair had made to allow the bill to be withdrawn. The point of order was that once the debate had begun on the amendments, that the bill could not be withdrawn.

Direction was sought from the Clerk and the legal advisor on the point of order of the Honourable Mr. Nerysoo and the ruling was that Mr. Nerysoo did have a point of order, that once the debate had begun, the amendment could not be withdrawn unless there was unanimous consent of the House. Although there is no specific rule in the rule book that stated that, the rule of general application that we follow the rules of the House would not have allowed Mr. Zoe to withdraw his motion. Therefore, the chair ruled that Mr. Nerysoo did have a point of order.

Madam Speaker, at that point, the honourable Mr. Zoe challenged the chair's ruling and I now seek your advice and direction on the matter.