Nats send message in a bottled-up protest

He refused to comment on whether or not he had ever heard of any other time when a major party had not attended the meeting.

‘‘The Business Committee, in the end, is a device that is useful for Parliament when there are things that might be done by agreement,’’ Brownlee said.

‘‘It’s not a compulsory meeting. The business of Parliament actually belongs to the members, not the Speaker.’’

Without the committee operating properly, routine issues may have to come up for a vote by the full House, in plain view of the public.

Any MP could object when leave is sought to make decisions on those issues.

Major decisions before the committee include the replacement of Jonathan Coleman’s seat on the Health Select Committee and a proposal to allow provincial MPs to leave earlier on Thursday in order to make flights home.