Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you all for being here today.
I'd like to preface my remarks by saying how pleased I was to hear so many references to the Ottawa convention, or Anti-Personnel Landmines Convention, and the fact that it had influenced the behaviour of states outside the treaty.
I would think it could serve as a model in the case of nuclear disarmament. I, for one, think it's a shame that the minister never mentioned the Ottawa convention in her major address on foreign policy. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the convention, after all.
Now, I'll turn back to the subject before us.
There's obviously no denying that my colleagues in the NDP and I are thrilled with Canada's decision to join the Arms Trade Treaty. That said, I have serious reservations about the implementation bill, and I'm not the only one, given some of the comments we've heard to that effect.
My first question is this. Is the government open to amendments to the implementation bill allowing Canada's accession to the Arms Trade Treaty?