Honourable senators, I ask for leave of the Senate that the sitting be suspended to await the receipt of messages from the House of Commons, with the bells to ring for 15 minutes before the sitting resumes, either to receive a message from the House of Commons or to adjourn.

Your Honour, I’m not sure when the appropriate time is, but I really do need to put this on the record. I sit here as an unaffiliated senator. This morning, the Rules Committee, as part of its study, heard from Senator Moreau, and some proposals were made to try and make it more inclusive and fair for an unaffiliated senator in this place.

I want to put on the record my objection. I was prepared and very keen to speak on Bill S-218 today, and I was not advised that a deal had been made by the leaders. As a result, at the moment that the representatives were going to walk down the aisle, I was told this was the case and that I would not be able to speak because of the deal the leaders made.

Nobody had the courtesy to tell me that. It feels like an override of my privilege as a senator, and I want to register my objection and my disappointment.

(The sitting of the Senate was suspended.)

(The sitting of the Senate was resumed.)