I don't want to prolong this debate, but I think a number of things should be clear. I don't think anyone on this side believes that the Prime Minister or the Minister of Agriculture shouldn't be making announcements.
There are two things that caused me to raise this issue this morning. One is the very fact that there was no recognition of the committee's work and that there is ongoing work being done by the committee. The other is the fact that he suggested there be another 21 days of hearings. He could have said “The committee is going on with its work. I believe there's more work to be done, and I would advise them that they should go back and see a few more people and bring forward a full and comprehensive view of what hasn't been heard yet.”
Nothing was said to that effect. It's a fait accompli. If you read the transcripts of what he said, both in the main statement and in the following statement, it was a fait accompli. The deal was made over there. For us not to be invited to be there is not a problem. I mean, I go through that all the time. I had a phone call on Saturday evening that I wasn't being invited to a certain event that was taking place. People from the riding thought I should be, but they were told by the government that I'm not a government member and therefore I have no right to be there. This is my riding. This is the way this government operates.
So this is not new. We've become used to this. We don't like it, but that's the way you people operate. So this is just another way of expressing to us that really what we do over here is not very important.
Larry, you know what I'm talking about. I've had this discussion with a number of you people over there, and that's the way you people operate.