Your Honour, I am not quite sure how to approach this.

We have a very difficult odour in this chamber, as we have had in the entire building most of the morning. As an old plumber, I used to work with this odour quite a bit; as a senator, I haven’t quite as often.

I’m not sure, Your Honour, what the proper thing to do is. It is really starting to affect some of us. Throughout the course of the day, I think it will affect a lot more of us. I know we are past Government Business. I’m certainly not, at this point, moving the adjournment of the Senate. I would, at least, ask you for your opinion and the opinion of other colleagues.

Thank you, Senator Plett.

I understand that a number of senators have been complaining of headaches and other discomfiture with this odour that we can all smell while we are here in the chamber. I understand it is not just in the chamber, but it is in other parts of the building as well.

The Black Rod has just left to check with our security people to see if there are complaints coming in from other areas.

I understand there is little or nothing we can do about the actual odour right now. In fairness to our colleagues, especially those who are not here because of this particular problem, we should suspend to a five-minute bell and ask the leadership if they can get together and discuss this to see if they can come to any kind of an agreement with respect to what we do for the rest of the day, whether we continue, suspend or adjourn until tomorrow.

We will suspend. There will be a five-minute bell to reconvene. I would ask the leadership of the various groups and caucuses if they would convene and discuss the matter.

Thank you very much, colleagues.