Thank you, Madam Clerk.
I think we are blessed with one of the very experienced clerks on the Hill, who will be undoubtedly invaluable to the person sitting in this chair over the next little while.
We'll do some of the official stuff first, and then get into the routine motions.
Welcome to meeting number one of the House of Commons Special Committee on the Canada–People's Republic of China Relationship.
Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format, pursuant to the House order of November 25, 2021. Members are attending in person in the room and remotely using the Zoom application. Regarding the speaking list, the committee clerk and I will do the best we can to maintain a consolidated order of speaking for all members, whether participating virtually or in person.
I would like to take this opportunity to remind all participants in this meeting that screenshots or taking photos of your screen is not permitted. The proceedings will be made available via the House of Commons website.
I would like to remind all of those present in the room to please follow the recommendations from public health authorities, as well as the directive of the Board of Internal Economy on October 19, 2021, to remain healthy and safe. As the chair, I will be enforcing these measures for the duration of the meeting, or for as long as the measures themselves last, he hastens to add, and I thank members in advance for their co-operation.
Should any technical challenges arise, please advise me, so that we can suspend a few moments to ensure all members are able to participate fully.
Those are a few formalities out of the way, but I wanted to add a quick note that I've been interested in this committee since it was first struck, living on the west coast as I do, and as does the honourable member for South Surrey—White Roc. We're kind of at ground zero for many of the concerns, especially the domestic concerns about our relationship with China.
It has been very interesting to watch the proceedings from the last Parliament, to see the work that the committee had done, because it resonates very well with what I've noticed over time. There may be times, in fact, when I will regret being here and being unable to ask some questions to try to coax out a little more information on what is, I think, as has been pointed out many times, a very complex relationship. There are upsides and downsides to it. As a group, we'll accentuate the positive, but deal something with the other.
With that, I suggest the next order of business be that the committee now proceed to consider its routine motions. In preparation for this, the committee clerk has circulated a list of routine motions that committees have typically adopted. As we go along, the committee clerk can also answer any questions about the routine motions that you may have.
It's customary that somebody on the government side take the lead, leading us through the routine motions.
Mr. Oliphant.
