I'd like to call to order the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food. Pursuant to the order of reference of Friday, March 28, 2014, we are considering Bill C-30, An Act to amend the Canada Grain Act and the Canada Transportation Act and to provide for other measures.
Colleagues, we have with us today the Honourable Gerry Ritz, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, and the Honourable Lisa Raitt, Minister of Transport.
Welcome to our ministers and to those who are here with them: Greg Meredith, assistant deputy minister at the strategic policy branch, Agriculture Canada; and Scott Streiner, assistant deputy minister in group policy with the Department of Transport.
We welcome you to our committee on a very important but also significant act that is now before this committee. We will be setting up meetings throughout the week to deal with as many witnesses as we can. I appreciate that you would take the time today, right at the start and from the get-go to be a part of that.
I'll turn this over to Minister Ritz to make an opening statement.
Minister, you have 10 minutes, please.