Good morning, everyone. Welcome to meeting number 53 of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food.
Our orders of the day are pursuant to the order of reference of Tuesday, October 23, 2012, on Bill S-11, An Act respecting food commodities, including their inspection, their safety, their labelling and 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 are, from the Canadian Meat Council, Mr. James Laws, executive director, and from the Retail Council of Canada, Ms. Karen Proud, vice-president, federal government relations.
Welcome. I think you know the drill, so we'll ask you to make your presentations and then we'll move to questions from the committee.
Mr. Laws.