I would like to call the committee to order. Before we resume our review of the main estimates for the Aboriginal Affairs Ministry, I wish to clarify the process we will follow as the committee of the whole conducts its review of the 1998-99 Main Estimates.
I would like to begin by reminding all Members that our rules limit the amount of time that a Member may speak to a matter under discussion in committee of the whole. Rule 79 reads as follows:
79(1)No Member shall speak for more than ten minutes at any one time in committee of the whole; and
79(2)Subject to the discretion of the Chair, a Member may speak more than once to a matter under discussion, but not until every other Member wishing to speak has spoken.
As your Chair, I wish to permit meaningful input into to this review process by all honourable Members. However, as Chair, I also have the responsibility to ensure that business of committee of the whole is dealt with in an efficient and timely manner.
In an attempt to better manage the time available to us and to ensure all Members have an opportunity to provide their comments, I wish to improve the review process by adhering more stringently to our rules regarding speaking time limits in committee of the whole.
The Chairs will permit each Member to speak up to ten minutes at a time and to frame any questions they may have for a Minister within the context of their comments. After all Members wishing to speak have spoken, the Chair will ask the Minister to respond to all comments that may have been made by Members. At the Chair's discretion, Members may be recognized to make secondary comments. This approach should help to ensure more efficient use of our time.
Once again, for the record, I would ask all Members to assist us in the departmental reviews by posing their specific questions or concerns under the appropriate activity. General comments should be exactly that, general comments. It is not a question and answer period.
In summary, your committee Chairs wish to permit meaningful debate here in committee of the whole. The cooperation of all Members in this regard will be greatly appreciated. Thank you. With that, I would like to ask the Minister, Mr. Antoine, if he would like to bring in witnesses.