Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, folks, for coming.
First, I want to turn to the Canadian Meat Council on point 5. Part of this committee's effort is to look at the listeriosis issue as well. In point 5, you say:
During the listeriosis outbreak last summer, what our industry really needed was a voice and a face that Canadians could rely on, like we had during the BSE crisis and the SARS crisis.
You do go on to say that the government is doing a better job on H1N1.
Certainly some of us feel that because there was a potential election, and then an election on, and from an elite conference call that the minister was on—now that we've seen the notes the minister has provided this committee—it was very clear that the minister and the Prime Minister's Office seemed very concerned about the political damage and political spin. Do you think that was the reason there was inaction during the listeriosis crisis? Do you want to comment?