Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
This is the 50th meeting of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development. It is Wednesday, April 25, 2007. Today's meeting is televised.
I would also ask our other media that are present in this room if they would take the opportunity to exit at this point.
Before we get back into it, I want to say that this is the first meeting back for our member from Vancouver South. Certainly we welcome you back, Mr. Dosanjh.
He's been away for health reasons. He's looking good, and it's good to have him back with our committee.
We are having another briefing this afternoon on the situation in Afghanistan. Appearing for the second time before our committee is the Honourable Gordon O'Connor, the Minister of National Defence. He is accompanied by witnesses from the Department of National Defence.
General Hillier, Chief of the Defence Staff, we welcome you with us.
Also attending is Mr. Ward Elcock, the Deputy Minister, and Brigadier-General Ken Watkin, the Judge Advocate General.
This is the 11th appearance before our committee of a cabinet minister from Canada's government in this 39th Parliament. I thank the minister for graciously making available his time for us. He has been before our committee, as I mentioned before. He knows how this goes.
We would welcome an opening statement from the minister, at which time we would then go into the first round of questions, which is a 10-minute round.
Minister O'Connor, welcome to the foreign affairs committee, and we look forward to your comments.