I call the meeting to order.
Members have been together pretty near every day and evening this week, so we're seeing lots of each other.
The hearing this morning is pursuant to Standing Orders 110 and 111, order in council appointment of Nada Semaan to the position of Director of the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, referred to the committee on Thursday, March 22 of this year.
We have Ms. Semaan with us this morning. Welcome, Ms. Semaan.
Before we start, we did send out a note to members, because we haven't, I don't believe, as a committee in this Parliament, gone through order in council appointments. I just want to remind people what was in that note.
There are certain rules pertaining to the examination of order in council appointments. Committees are limited to examining the individual's qualifications and performance, with a view to their performing the duties the office seeks. This means that I as chair could interrupt the questioning of members if they deal with matters irrelevant to the committee's inquiry, for instance, political affiliation, contributions to political parties, and the nature of the nomination process. Any question, however, may be permitted if it can be shown that it relates directly to the appointee's ability to perform the duties of the office.
That's what we're here to go through, the ability to perform the duties of the office. I believe you have an opening statement.
Ms. Semaan, I believe you have an opening statement. The floor is yours.