We are convened. Finance committee members, welcome back for our first meeting of the new year, 2007.
Pursuant to Standing Order 106(4), this meeting was requested by four members of the committee, who requested that the committee organize and hold hearings on the government's decision to tax income trusts.
Ladies and gentlemen of the committee, we are going to begin our discussion. Four of our members have asked that we have a discussion pertinent to income trusts. To facilitate the discussion, first of all, I would encourage members of the media to leave. They're welcome to remain, but I'd like to have the members of the committee at the table.
Madam Wasylycia-Leis, you have some responsibilities here, and I'd like to see you at the table now. I'll ask the cameras to go off. Thank you.
Welcome, everyone. To facilitate discussion on this, I would much prefer that we have an introductory comment and then a motion, so that we can proceed to have a debate on something substantive rather than just having a general beating around of the issue. To expedite that, I will invite Mr. McCallum to present his motion and make comment in respect of it, as he so desires.
Mr. McCallum, the floor is yours.