Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I want to say two things.
First, the interpreter indicated that she couldn't hear what Mr. Jowhari was saying. He may not have been speaking into his microphone, or it may have been on mute.
Second, I'm going to say more or less the same thing as Mrs. Block. Many times, the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs hasn't been able to hear from witnesses in northern communities. I know that in this case, Mr. Sergerie is in Wendake. That said, I am always complaining about how poor the Internet networks are in certain places and how witnesses aren't able to come all the way here to meet with the committee. Some people I know have to spend a week travelling to get to Ottawa, and I wouldn't want them to be penalized because of where they live or because the network prevents them from testifying.
I know some witnesses have testified by telephone in the past. There was a time in 2018 when someone from my riding couldn't appear before the committee in person but was able to testify another way. We need to figure out how we can accommodate those witnesses. There are ways to prevent identity fraud and make sure that people are who they say they are. Then, we would have access to their testimony. It's a difficult situation because sometimes we have to postpone meeting with them two or three times in a row. In some cases, we're never able to make it work. Perhaps it's time to deal with the source of the problem and find other ways for these people to appear, so that they aren't penalized and so that they can participate fully in the committee's proceedings.