I'm back. My page closed. We had a bad connection.
While I'm still here, we're going to close the meeting with the panel. However, I would like to invite our members to stay on. We have a few business issues and, hopefully, the technical team will allow us a few minutes extra.
Thank you to our panel. Again, my apologies for the little technical difficulties that happened.
For the membership, today we had a discussion amongst the four parties, and we came up with a kind of road map to go forward. I can read for you the agreement that we came to together.
Here's what is being put forward:
That, with regard to the study on the Canadian response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chair, in consultation with the clerks and the analysts, assemble panels of witnesses for the committee's upcoming meetings; that, to the extent possible, these panels be made up of witnesses suggested by the recognized parties for the following agricultural topics or industries: the dairy industry, the horticulture industry, agricultural labour and foreign workers, the livestock industry and small farm businesses; that, in addition to the previously scheduled appearance of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship be invited to appear for the “agricultural labour and foreign workers” topic; and that, depending on the circumstances, the changing situation and the places available on the panels, the committee be able to add some witnesses if necessary.
That's basically the agreement we came up with. If anyone would like to move a motion to that effect or discuss it, we can, but it has to be quick since we are already over time.