Good evening, everyone. I call the meeting to order.
It's great to see so many colleagues together on a Tuesday evening.
Welcome to meeting number 78 of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.
The committee is meeting today to study the question of privilege related to the campaign against the member for Wellington—Halton Hills and other members.
We have with us today Mr. Wesley Wark, senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation. He's based in the Waterloo region, in the city of Waterloo, for which I am a proud member of Parliament, so full disclosure.
We also have with us Thomas Juneau, associate professor at the graduate school of public and international affairs at the University of Ottawa.
You will each have five minutes for an opening statement, which I understand has been shared with the interpreters, and then we will proceed to questions from the committee members.
I would like to remind all members and witnesses that care must be taken with regard to the earpieces for interpretation. Please be mindful to not place your earpiece near the microphone, as this can result in a feedback loop, which may cause an acoustic shock and could, in turn, cause injury to the interpreters. Your earpiece is attached to the device in front of you. Do not put it in near the microphone, but keep it away, just to ensure that we minimize risks to the individuals who are helping us operate in both official languages.
With that, Mr. Wark, the floor is yours. Welcome to the procedure and House affairs committee.