Good morning. This is the 30th meeting of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities. We are meeting on Wednesday, May 13, 2009, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
First of all, I would like to welcome you all and to thank you for having answered our invitation. I would like to give you two or three pieces of information before we begin.
As you heard, the meeting will end at 2:30 p.m. You have a small piece of equipment before you. Channel 8 is for English, channel 9 is for French and channel 7 is for the language being spoken at that time. At times, we cannot hear very well what is being said.
This meeting is one of a series being held by the committee right across the country. We have begun a study on poverty in Canada, and God knows we need this study. Canada's economic situation has worsened. We have therefore undertaken a tour of Canada. We began in the Atlantic provinces, in Moncton and Halifax. Today, it is Montreal; in a few days, we will be in Toronto; and a bit later on, we will visit the Canadian west and Canada's north. This gives you an indication of the context within which we will hear your comments.
The meeting will unfold as follows: each group has five minutes to make a presentation in the language of their choice. You may share the five-minute period with your colleague as you see fit. After the presentations, my colleagues may ask you questions. They represent all of the parties in the House of Commons. Ms. Maria Minna and I represent the Liberal Party of Canada; Ms. Beaudin, of the Bloc Québécois, shares her time with Mr. Lessard; Mr. Mulcair is from the NDP; and Mr. Komarnicki and Mr. Lobb represent the government party, the Conservative Party of Canada. These people will ask you questions which you may answer.
We will begin right away. I will simply follow the plan by beginning with Mr. Saillant, of the Front d'action populaire en réaménagement urbain, bettter known as FRAPRU.
Mr. Saillant, the floor is yours.