I call the meeting to order.
Good morning, everyone. Welcome to the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food.
This is meeting number 52. Pursuant to orders of the day, we are studying the order of reference of Tuesday, October 23, 2012, Bill S-11, an act respecting food commodities, including their inspection, their safety, their labelling, and their advertising; their import, export, and interprovincial trade; the establishment of standards for them; the registration or licensing of persons who perform certain activities related to them; the establishment of standards governing establishments where those activities are performed; and the registration of establishments where those activities are performed.
Joining us today we have Mr. Ritz. I will just advise the committee that I will be adding 10 minutes to the end of the meeting for the minister to stay. He is the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and the Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board. I will ask him to open with his comments, and then we will move to questions from committee members.
Mr. Minister, welcome.