Thank you very much, Chair.
First of all, to the witnesses, thank you very much for appearing before us here this morning.
If my colleagues won't do it, I will do it. Speaking to Mr. Perelmuter, I will apologize on behalf of those of us on this side for the distress that your employees and your company have experienced as a result of the actions of certain colleagues on this committee.
I understand that we, as parliamentarians, sit in a very privileged position and we have the bully pulpit and so on. To be casting those kinds of aspersions and putting people at risk.... I do apologize, certainly, for this side of the committee.
I want to thank the NATIONAL representatives.
You do honourable work, and I'm very curious to learn more about how you do what you do.
Chair, I find it curious that members of this committee were very keen to have these witnesses here, but we only have an hour to ask questions. I invite the witnesses, if they want to follow up in writing with more detailed answers to any of the questions that we ask here today, to please do so.
My first question, in fact, Mr. Perelmuter has already referred to. Indeed, can you tell me whether you have ever been a member of the Liberal Party in any way, shape or form? I'm making an allusion here to the McCarthy era when many innocent people were dragged in front of committees and aspersions were made.
Mr. Perelmuter, can you tell me, to your knowledge, if you or your company has in any way acted in an improper manner?