is to give us the opportunity to debate this, to try one more time to get the government to listen to us. This government, if it refuses to have hearings on this issue--as has been done in the past with issues such as municipal assessment, as will be done on the Child Advocate bill that has already been agreed to, as they do with their backbenchers who have travelled throughout Manitoba at public expense dealing with issues, which are important issues but not as final and as drastic in their impact as the sale of MTS. Madam Speaker, we are asking one thing today. Let the people of rural and northern Manitoba have the opportunity to have their say in their community. Do not make a mockery of the committee process by not allowing rural and northern Manitobans the full opportunity to participate. That is why I urge you to give us the opportunity to debate this today and try one more time before it is too late to change the government's mind to listen to rural and northern Manitobans. Hon. Jim Ernst (Government House Leader): I submit in the first instance that the whole question raised by the member for Thompson is out of order. The announcement of the sale of MTS was, I believe, somewhere toward the end of April. Legislation was introduced in the House either at the end of May or certainly before the 6th of June, so in terms of urgency, I do not think