I'd like to call to order meeting number 20 of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development. We are continuing with our witnesses dealing with Bill C-30, an act to establish the Specific Claims Tribunal and to make consequential amendments to other acts.
I'm starting right on time today because we have many witnesses and a limited amount of time. I ask my colleagues on the committee for two indulgences: first, keep to the clock when it gets to the questioning round; and secondly, we are scheduled to end at 5:30, but we all have bells at 6:15, so if we go a little beyond 5:30, I'll do my best to have everybody out of here before 6 o'clock. Again, that will get to the questioning round.
For the witnesses, both those who are already at the table and those who are coming up in the second panel, I want to welcome you. As you may know, we're towards the end of this round of hearings, and today's meeting was to be able to get all the people who couldn't come to earlier meetings. It's a bit like the airlines. You invite 150 people to sit on a 130-seat plane, hoping they don't all show up. What has happened today is we've had many people who've expressed a desire to come to the committee, so we are a little busier than usual. As such, I implore you to keep your remarks brief. We've held many meetings, so we've covered many of the basics of the bill. I would hope that you could please come to the point quickly when you're making your presentations. That will allow us some time for questions and answers, and hopefully at that time you'll have an opportunity to follow up on some of the issues that committee members may have a particular interest in.
Today we have four groups on panel A. The first group is from the Assembly of First Nations: Regional Chief Shawn Atleo, and Roger Jones, legal counsel. The second group is from the First Nations Summit: Grand Chief Edward John, and Grand Chief Ken Malloway, who I presume is not here yet, but I see the seat. As an individual, we have Tony Penikett. Thank you for being here. Finally, we have the Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nation Chiefs Secretariat, Chief Lawrence Paul and Chief Noah Augustine.
Thank you all very much for being here. I thank you in advance for keeping your remarks brief.
I'd like to start with the Assembly of First Nations, Mr. Atleo, if you'd like to begin.