Mr. Kevin Higgins:

The Acting Chairman will forgive me if I rise. It is difficult, with some metal in my right side, to sit for a long period. I ask one thing of the Acting Chairman. He has delivered a quite proper warning to us in respect of conduct and what one says in the House. He has delivered it directly to individual members of this committee and to us as witnesses before the committee. As he sits in the Chair with all the powers of same, he represents the committee. I would like the following, whether by a ruling from the Acting Chairman, which I would unquestionably respect, or otherwise. Will the Acting Chair tell me as a civilian appearing before the committee whether the committee, given that this issue has been raised in submissions with plenty of time to consider, has satisfied itself in a proper and appropriate manner and taken great care to ensure its capacity and powers to examine this Bill are intra vires? Would he be kind enough to make a ruling on that? I will accept it without question.