Good afternoon, everyone.
This is meeting number six of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development on Monday, March 2, 2009. Today we're going to continue with our study on key elements of Canadian foreign policy.
On behalf of the government, we want to welcome our two witnesses here this afternoon. I should say right now that we do not have other witnesses for the second hour, so we hope that possibly our two guests can stay a little longer than just the one hour.
In our first hour we have Mr. Peter Harder, senior policy adviser for Fraser Milner Casgrain; and appearing as an individual, we have James H. Taylor.
Our committee welcomes back Mr. Harder, who has appeared before our committee many times. We remember not that long ago he served as deputy minister in the Government of Canada, and he served as the most senior public servant in a number of federal departments, including Foreign Affairs and International Trade. I think in our conversation before the meeting began he said he served with five prime ministers in the deputy capacity--not to prime ministers, but to different ministers. He has also served as co-chair of the Canada-China Strategic Working Group. In 2000 the Governor General presented Mr. Harder with the Prime Minister's Outstanding Achievement Award for public service leadership. Currently he is a consultant and is serving on numerous boards of directors.
Mr. James Taylor is an Officer of the Order of Canada, and he has extensive experience in Canadian foreign service, including serving as Canadian ambassador to Japan from 1989 to 1993. He was chancellor of McMaster University from 1992 to 1998. He is currently retired, and we thank him for taking time today to come and appear before our committee.
Our committee will allow you approximately 10 minutes to open, and then we'll go into the first round of questions from members, with seven minutes each.
I should also say that it's my understanding from reading the bio that Mr. Taylor has also served as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. So we appreciate the wealth of information and knowledge and wisdom that is represented at that end of the table, and we mean that seriously. We look forward to hearing your comments.
Mr. Taylor, please would you go first.