Senator Jaffer: Thank you, Senator Campbell, for your question and for letting me know beforehand that you were going to ask me this question.

As you know, our committee meets once a week unless we have government business. The Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee, as you indicated, is a committee with a high volume of work. Whenever we need time, the Senate leadership enables us to find time for government business. For example, last week we needed more time, and the Senate leadership allowed us that time. That is how we are dealing with this at the Legal Committee.

Senator Jaffer: Thank you, Senator Campbell. Our committee follows the Marjory LeBreton rule of “no minister, no bill,” and we operate under that rule generally.

Our committee, through our clerk, works as closely as we can with departments to secure ministerial appearances. We have had issues securing ministers for appearances, most recently on our study of Government Motion No. 14 regarding the Saskatchewan railway. Officials were made available to us, but not the ministers. The only reason the committee decided to continue is because we had a very short time to report back to the Senate.

We continue to push for ministerial appearances. Most importantly, I can always rely on the Government Representative, Senator Gold, and his staff. They go out of their way to help us with the attendance of ministers at committee. I can assure this chamber that we will work hard to ensure that ministers appear in committee to defend their bills.

Hon. Mobina S. B. Jaffer: Yes, I would.