Thank you, Chair.
Thank you, Monsieur Mayrand.
If I may, I want to deal with some of the elements of your preparedness for H1N1. I think we all hope it doesn't become as serious as some are suggesting it might; we hope it doesn't become a pandemic. However, obviously governments, your agency, and others have to be prepared for the worst.
You're aware that there's a series of byelections. I'm going to ask you about the one in British Columbia specifically, because news reports seem to indicate that the rate of H1N1 incidence being diagnosed in British Columbia is rising fairly rapidly.
I have a couple of questions.
Obviously I'd like to know what your level of preparedness is, specifically for the British Columbia by-election, but in particular, what would happen, as an example, if someone walked into a polling station who was coughing, sneezing, and exhibiting all of the traits of someone who perhaps had contracted H1N1? Clearly, because of privacy considerations you couldn't question that person, but how do you balance the right of the individual who wants to vote with respect for public safety? That's question number one.
Secondly—and God forbid this ever happens—what would happen if, in a particular riding or a region where there was a wide outbreak of H1N1, thousands of potential voters were stricken with it and were unable to vote? Have you considered, for example, either moving or rescheduling voting day? Do you think this would have an impact on the outcome of an election? This could be quite a serious situation. I'd like to know in more detail than you've provided in your report the type of contingency plans you have been considering in case of an widespread outbreak of H1N1.
And there are those particular questions: what happens if somebody walks into the polling station who's obviously ill and may have H1N1—how do you deal with that individual?—and what happens if, before voting day, thousands of potential voters have been stricken and are literally unable to come to the polling station?