Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will try to confine myself to the point of order, although the Member for Thebacha did not and tried to debate your ruling today. Mr. Speaker, just to look at what I said -- as the Member has suggested I was imputing motives -- and to take Members of the House through this: "Mr. Speaker, in my view, if Members are allowed to act irresponsibly and table unsigned documents..." Now, I think that refers to the act of tabling unsigned documents. It doesn't refer to the Member or an individual, it talks about the act of tabling unsigned documents. So, Mr. Speaker, how the Member is imputing the motive out of those words requires a great deal of imagination. I specifically referred to the action, the practice.
Secondly, Mr. Speaker, the Member has pretty well called me a coward for participating in this debate in her absence. Mr. Speaker, I'm not responsible for the fact that the Member was not here and I'm sure she had very good reason for not being here that day. What happened, Mr. Speaker, was that the honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta raised a point of order and I would like to inform Mrs. Marie-Jewell that I had no idea or advance warning that this point of order was going to be raised. I suspect that was the case with most other Members. I had no idea it was going to be raised.
When it was raised and you invited debate, I welcomed the chance to debate because I had been thinking about the matter and I had been discussing the matter with other Members, and was beginning to feel some unease about what was going on. I had also heard media reports about the matter. So, Mr. Speaker, was I to refrain from expressing my opinions because the Member wasn't present? Was it somehow disrespectful to offer opinions because the Member wasn't present? Mr. Speaker, I offered my opinions because you invited debate and I thought, being a Member of this House for some years, I might have something to offer.
I wasn't afraid to offer my opinions in front of the Member and I'm not afraid to do so today. I stand by the opinions I offered on that day and I'm not afraid to say so in the presence of the Member. So, Mr. Speaker, I'm now concerned that there has been a second allegation added to the Member's point of order which is an act of cowardice. I'm not afraid of the Member, Mr. Speaker, and I'm not afraid of free, full and frank debate. Whether the Member is here or not, I'm not afraid of it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.