I call to order meeting number 129 of the Standing Committee on Finance.
Our orders of the day, pursuant to the order of reference of Monday, June 10, 2013, are for the study of Bill S-17, An Act to implement conventions, protocols, agreements and a supplementary convention, concluded between Canada and Namibia, Serbia, Poland, Hong Kong, Luxembourg and Switzerland, for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes.
Colleagues, I want to thank all of you for being here on very short notice. I sincerely appreciate it.
I also want to thank our guests, both here in Ottawa and by video conference, for appearing on very short notice. It is very much appreciated by our committee.
We have a three-hour meeting scheduled, from 11 till 2, and we are going to hear from officials from the Department of Finance first. Then we will have questions from committee members. I expect this will take 30 minutes minimum, or maybe a little longer. Then we will ask our witnesses to come forward and present their opening statements, and then we'll have questions from members.
At the time when members want to go to clause-by-clause consideration of the bill, they will indicate that to me, and we will do that.
For the other witnesses who are here with us and by video conference, you'll be able to hear the officials from the Department of Finance present their rationale for this bill as well.
First of all, from the Department of Finance, we have Mr. Ted Cook, who has been before our committee many times recently.
Welcome back to the committee, Mr. Cook.
We also have Monsieur Alain Castonguay.
Welcome to the committee.
Mr. Castonguay, I believe you have the opening statement for the officials. Then we'll have questions from members.
Please begin.