Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
I am pleased to call this meeting to order. Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), we are studying the federal contribution to reducing poverty in Canada.
I will inform the members of the committee that we have one item of business to do first. I see all the usual people are here. We welcome Monsieur Ménard from the Bloc back again. It's nice to see you with us again, as you and I work our way towards our coincidental birthdays in May. It's nice to see you back.
We have a proposed budget. The staff tell me that this budget will take us through to the end of June. There's a travel allowance for the witnesses we will be hearing, as well as for some video conferencing, and potentially even some video conferencing outside Canada. This does not prohibit the possibility of other travel that we might undertake--exceptional travel, perhaps, even outside Canada. That would be done in a different form, but this would be for the standard work the committee would have to do on poverty prior to the June break.
Let us have a look at it, and I'll take questions.
Go ahead, Ms. Sgro.