Thank you, Chair.
I'm a little surprised that Mr. Cullen would be proposing such a motion. As the most knowledgeable of all MPs, I think he would know a little better.
But in any event, the proposal will not diminish the influence or public health advice of the chief public health officer. The CPHO will continue to provide the best possible public health advice to the minister and to Canadians. He or she will continue to speak to Canadians about public health risks and will continue to provide an annual report to the minister on the state of public health in Canada for tabling in Parliament. The changes proposed in this bill will allow the chief public health officer to focus on public health matters that are of critical importance to Canadians.