Good morning, colleagues. This is meeting number 33 of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, on Tuesday, October 20, 2009.
Our orders of the day include a return to our committee's study of Bill C-300, An Act respecting Corporate Accountability for the Activities of Mining, Oil or Gas in Developing Countries. As witnesses in the first hour today, we are pleased to have, from the Department of Natural Resources, Stephen Lucas, assistant deputy minister, minerals and metals sector; and also Ginny Flood, director general of the minerals, metals and materials policy branch.
I invite you to make your opening testimony, and then we will proceed into rounds of questioning.
Madame Lalonde, you had asked for time in committee business at the end of the first hour, and we will definitely leave time for committee business. Did you want that for today and Thursday, or for Thursday?