Order.
This is meeting number 15 of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics. Our orders of the day, pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(h)(vi), are a study on allegations of interference in access to information requests.
We have two sets of witnesses today.
Our first witness is Mr. Ryan Sparrow, director of communications in the Office of the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development. In the second part of the meeting we will hear, from the Department of Human Resources and Skills Development, Patricia Valladao, chief of media relations, and Mr. Peter Larose, Assistant Deputy Minister, public affairs and stakeholder relations.
As the members will notice, we are blessed to have been joined by the minister herself, the Honourable Diane Finley.
The orders of the day indicate that we are here to hear from Mr. Sparrow, and he has an opening statement for us. The minister is not here to make any statements, and I'm in the committee's hands with regard to whether or not she has other roles. Any member of Parliament has the right to sit at any committee table, but is not authorized to ask questions unless they are duly signed into the committee. Okay?
So let's not waste any more time.
Welcome, Mr. Sparrow. You have a statement. Please proceed.