I call this meeting to order.
Welcome to meeting number 30 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(3), the committee is meeting on its study of the current state of civic resilience in Canada and later, in camera, on its study on the challenges regarding special ballot voting.
Before I continue, I would ask all in-person participants to consult the guidelines written on the cards on the table. These measures are in place to help prevent audio and feedback incidents and to protect the health and safety of all participants, especially our interpreters. There's a QR code for a short awareness video.
I would like to make a few comments for the benefit of the members.
All comments should be addressed through the chair. Members in the room, if you wish to speak, raise your hand. Members on Zoom, use the “raise hand” function. We will manage the speaking order as best we can.
I'd like to welcome our witnesses for today. As individuals, we have Taylor Owen, Beaverbrook chair in media, ethics and communications, McGill University; and Heidi Tworek, director, Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions, University of British Columbia. We also have, from Equal Voice, Lindsay Brumwell, interim executive director.
Each witness will have five minutes to deliver their opening remarks.
We'll go to Professor Tworek for five minutes, please.