Pursuant to notice of February 26, 2024, moved:

That, notwithstanding rule 5-5(b), if the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade reports on Bill C-57, An Act to implement the 2023 Free Trade Agreement between Canada and Ukraine, without amendment on Thursday, February 29, 2024, the bill be placed on Orders of the Day for third reading later that day, provided that if the committee reports the bill without amendment on that day after the point where the Senate would normally have dealt with the bill at third reading, it either be taken into consideration at third reading forthwith or, if the report is presented while another item is under consideration, it be placed on the Orders of the Day for third reading after the end of proceedings for the day on the item under consideration at the time of presentation; and

That the committee’s report on the bill may be presented after the end of Routine Proceedings that day without leave being required.

Honourable senators, I’m not quite sure why this amendment is necessary. Things could progress quite well, given the way they were going. Clearly, I thought that Bill C-62 was the most important item on the agenda here, and now the government leader has chosen to bring other legislation ahead of one of the most important bills that is — or has been — in front of us this year; I’m not sure why.

Nevertheless, honourable senators, I would like to offer a small amendment to this motion by improving the motion at least a little bit.