Bonjour, chers collègues.
We will begin today by asking the committee if we can suspend consideration of the first report of our subcommittee on agenda and procedure until after we have heard from our witnesses. Today we are considering the supplementary estimates (B) and a number of votes under Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
Appearing today we have the Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs. Welcome, Mr. Minister.
He is accompanied by officials from his department: Leonard Edwards, who is the deputy minister; and Bruce Hirst, who is the assistant deputy minister and chief financial officer. Welcome, gentlemen.
On behalf of the committee, I thank the minister and his officials for appearing today on such short notice.
I'm proud to report that in the last Parliament, the 39th Parliament, a fairly short Parliament, ministers of the crown appeared before our committee a total of 17 times. Our committee is grateful for the positive responses in the past and the input we have received from the ministers, including the Minister of National Defence, the Minister of International Cooperation, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and other ministers of state responsible for various geographic regions in the world.
As the committee knows, we will allow the minister the opening statement, and then we'll proceed into the first round.
Mr. Minister, we look forward to your comments.