Thank you. To the motion, Mr. Speaker. I can't support this motion to take a two-week break. As you are well aware, we just started with the business of the House and it's critical that we pass the budget in a timely manner. As the Minister of Finance knows, we have to have it concluded by March 31st, or we won't have any money to spend after April 1st.
I believe it was last year or the year before when we considered both the O and M and capital budgets together that we ran up to the last hour to get the budget through. At one point in time, Mr. Speaker, we even had to approve a supp so the government could spend money after March 31st, because our budget wasn't done.
Mr. Speaker, we have only concluded two departments out of all the departments we have in this government. And it's critical that we discuss all the legislation that is in front of us. I don't see how we can take this length of time off. I just counted the days, Mr. Speaker, and the proposed motion states March 10th to March 27th. That's 16 days and it leaves us only five days when we reconvene before March 31st comes around. For those reasons, I can't support this particular motion. So, Mr. Speaker, I would like to make an amendment.
Motion To Amend Motion 14-12(7), Defeated
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Baffin Central, that the motion be amended by deleting March 10, 1995 and substituting March 17, 1995.