Colleagues, I'm calling this meeting to order.
Welcome to meeting number 23 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates. Pursuant to the order of reference of Saturday, April 11, we will continue our meeting on the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Colleagues, we have one housekeeping bit of business. I will be taking 15 minutes at the end of today's meeting to go into committee business. There are a few things about our upcoming study, under the motion that was passed July 9, on the WE Charity issue. I'm thus going to excuse our witnesses at about 2:45 p.m.
Witnesses, be prepared for that.
Then we'll take 15 minutes, colleagues, to go over committee business at that time.
For the benefit of our witnesses, I would ask you again, when you are speaking—and I'm sure you're all familiar with the procedure—that if you start in one official language, you complete your entire presentation or answer the question in the language in which you started. If you're switching between French and English, you can do so by alternating English to French on the channel. However, my strong suggestion to you is to keep to one language only when you're making a statement or answering a question. That would greatly assist our interpreters.
Colleagues, as well, you have all received just very recently Mr. Matthews' opening statement in both official languages. However, many of you may not have had an opportunity to read through it yet. In that case, I'm going to be asking Mr. Matthews to deliver his opening statement.
Hopefully, Mr. Matthews, it's no longer than 10 minutes.
Then we will go directly into questions.
With that, colleagues, I will turn it over to Mr. Matthews.
Mr. Matthews, the floor is yours.