I'd also like to remind everyone that while witnesses must answer all questions that the committee puts to them, members have been urged to display “'appropriate courtesy and fairness' when questioning witnesses”, as of course House of Commons Procedure and Practice provides at page 1079.
I would now like to welcome our witnesses.
We're joined by Philippe Dufresne, law clerk and parliamentary counsel at the House of Commons; and Michel Bédard, deputy law clerk and parliamentary counsel at the House of Commons.
From the Public Health Agency of Canada, we have Iain Stewart, president, as well as Dr. Guillaume Poliquin, acting vice-president, National Microbiology Laboratory.
Finally, from the Department of Justice Canada, we have Christian Roy, executive director and general counsel, health legal services.
Welcome, everyone, and thank you for being here. I will now turn to Mr. Stewart for his opening remarks.
Please proceed.