I call the meeting to order.
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. My apologies for the delay. It was requested that I delay the health committee meeting because a tribute is being paid to former Governor General Leblanc.
Monsieur Malo has requested that we start because we have a lot of business to do.
Thank you for that request. Now that you've made it, I can do it, so thank you very much.
Today we have a very interesting presentation. Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), we are to have a briefing on airline policy to allow small pets in passenger cabins.
We will have a five-minute presentation from each of the witnesses. Following that, we will have a seven-minute question and answer period.
I have to tell you that someone else will be taking the chair shortly, because I am required to go back into the House and deliver a speech very soon. I will return after that speech. It's going to be a busy day today, kind of like a skateboard.
Appearing before us is Diane Bergeron, a guide dog user; we have the Allergy/Asthma Information Association, Mary Allen, chief executive officer; and the Canadian Lung Association, Jennifer Schenkel, director of communications.
Then we have a video conference with Jill Frigon, a registered nurse who is the health initiatives coordinator for the Canadian Lung Association; Dr. Robert Schellenberg, head of the division of allergy and immunology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, and Thomas Kovesi, pediatric respirologist, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, both from the Canadian Thoracic Society; and from the Canadian Transportation Agency, we have Joan MacDonald, director general, dispute resolution branch, and Mary-Jane Gravelle, director, accessible transportation directorate.
I want to thank you very much for being here today, and I want to thank you for your patience.
We will begin with Diane Bergeron, a guide dog user.
Diane, please begin. You have five minutes.