Thank you, Madam Chair.
I'm not going to expand too much on what Mr. Richards has already spoken about. I'm in agreement with a lot he had to say. I do want to pick up on a couple of things.
First and foremost is the security issue. I think we need to spend time not just with House security and some of our IT people, but with outside IT security experts as well, because, as more and more people become involved in this type of technology, if we decide on some form of virtual meetings, there are questions related to software on computers such as the private entity of Zoom, for example, the bombing and hacking of the Zoom site and the possibility of hijacking feeds. We've already talked about remote areas and whether they're most susceptible, given the fact that there's less rural broadband security there. Security needs to be a big part of what we do in terms of our focus on this study.
I'm also aware that the U.S. Senate has done a cybersecurity study as it relates to virtual meetings. We may want to consider someone from Homeland Security or some security team related to the U.S. Senate, perhaps the chair of the Senate committee, to highlight what they found in their study.
The second point I would want to make that differentiates from Mr. Richards' points this morning is that we need to expand this beyond just looking at virtual sittings within the chamber. We've seen over the last couple of weeks that committees have been structured virtually, whether through the telephone, as we're doing today, or online. I think we have to understand that this is more House procedure standpoint—not just understand, but also accept the fact that committees need to have the same power they would if we were all sitting together today in Parliament in one of those committee rooms. It relates to moving motions. My experience in watching some of these committees is that they become more like seminars, as opposed to performing the duly constituted legislative functions of committee. The ability to request information, documents or other information, from the government has to be a priority in what we look at as we move forward.
Again, my two main points, just to reaffirm them, are, first, the issue of security and the impact that has on our ability to perform virtually, and second, the ability of the committees to function as they are purposed for, not just as an audience. That speaks more to the House, and there are a lot of other issues with respect to privilege and the ability on points of order. All of this stuff is something we can cover procedurally.
Last, I want to reaffirm what Mr. Richards said, that we're going to have the Speaker and the Clerk of the House come at the beginning and, as we move through the witnesses over the next couple of weeks, I think it's important to bring them back on the back end, to address any of the issues or questions that may come up as a result of procedure, security and all the other issues that we will discuss over the course of the next couple of weeks.
That's all I have to say. Thank you, Madam Chair. I would ask for some consideration of those points when it comes to witnesses.