Thanks, Mr. Chair.
I want to thank my colleague Mr. Green. These are challenging times for all of us on Zoom and in hybrid meetings, and, Mr. Chair, I appreciate your taking all of this feedback and ensuring that we have successful debates that are respectful and that everyone is heard. I see today as a learning curve for all of us as we begin to work together, and I look forward to the debate as we go forward.
Mr. Brassard expressed concern about ensuring there are witnesses, and I'd like to emphasize that there is consensus here among all of us that this is an important issue that needs to be explored and that witnesses do need to appear.
I'd also like to make it clear that ministers are currently working extremely hard for Canadians in the middle of the fifth wave of this crisis and that we care deeply about the safety and health of Canadians right now and that we want to make sure there is a focus on this important issue. Our ministers, who are doing the day-to-day work that needs to be done, and their departmental officials and support teams, are really doing the work that needs to be addressed because Canadians are anxious and concerned about their safety and well-being and privacy.
During this fifth wave, indigenous communities are being crippled. Major urban centres, like my riding of York Centre in particular, are seeing tremendous numbers during this wave, and we need to balance that out. We need to make sure we are answering these important questions in a timely manner and also ensuring the confidentiality of these motions as they're presented and debated and discussed here. We also need to ensure that we work as much as possible with consensus and unanimity to ensure that the witnesses we need are here to answer those tough questions and to serve Canadians during this crisis time.
I appreciate and want to thank my colleague Ms. Khalid for suggesting that we start with, as key witnesses, Minister Duclos for Health Canada, and perhaps other witnesses, and Dr. Tam from PHAC or someone else who can speak to PHAC's decisions, so that we start the conversations and ensure there is a focus on the immediacy of the crisis and we make sure we do the thorough study that is needed.
I'd just like to express, at least from where I sit here in Toronto and also in the committee, that we truly want to open the door of this discussion together, as a committee, to make sure we answer the tough questions that are being asked by Mr. Brassard and by the members of the committee.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.