Thanks very much, Chair.
I just note, as I'm sure the clerk has for you, that Mr. Lake is seeking your attention following me.
We have a pretty short window remaining for us before the end of June. It's a beautiful day outside and I'm sure our minds are all turning towards nicer weather and the like, so I'll try and be brief in the interest that we're not here until after sunset.
There was a commitment made by this committee before I was named to this committee that 50% of our meetings would be dedicated to our study of COVID. We're at a point right now in the ever-changing COVID landscape where I have a couple of thoughts that I'd just like to share for consideration.
One is that we're on the eve of a two-week constituency break. Following the constituency break, we'll have had several weeks where what's being described as the sixth wave of COVID, the omicron BA.2 or latest subvariant has been circulating in our communities. That will have been happening for several weeks. Many of the provincial restrictions will have been lifted for more than a month.
I would suggest for consideration that on our return, for the next meeting on the COVID pandemic we hear from federal experts like Dr. Tam and Dr. Njoo and other representatives of the Public Health Agency of Canada to update us on the federal picture.
The other thing with respect to the COVID study meetings is that before I was named to the committee, there were discussions about a study on children's health. I'd be interested to hear from committee members if we would focus a new study on children's health or if we would combine the interest of that study with the COVID study—the effects of COVID on children—and make that part of those 50% of meetings.
A third option would be—and I'm not moving a motion at this time, Chair—that we have a separate study that would concern children's health, including the effects of COVID on children, which could occur during those time slots that would have otherwise been allocated to meetings on COVID. I think that would satisfy two competing and important interests.
Then there's the matter of the remaining time that we have with our health human resource study. I would ask whether we have the desire and witnesses to proceed with the originally intended number of meetings or whether there is consensus to more quickly move to drafting instructions for our analysts. That report could then inform our work going forward.
I'd also ask how much bandwidth the other important issues facing this committee would take up, like the potential of a study on the opioid epidemic and the potential of a private member's bill coming forward from Mr. Johns that's expected to be studied at this committee.
Those are just some thoughts highlighting our broad priorities. I'll let Mr. Lake speak to one additional issue. Those are the areas where I would hope we can find some consensus over the course of this meeting.
Thanks, Mr. Chair.