Order please.
Colleagues, this is the second meeting of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.
Today we continue our work and we'll be hearing from the minister with regard to our study of Bill C-9, An Act respecting the election and term of office of chiefs and councillors of certain First Nations and the composition of council of those First Nations.
As is our custom in this committee, we'll turn the meeting over to the minister for about 10 minutes, then we'll have some rounds of questioning.
Minister, thank you so much for being here. We appreciate you coming.
Colleagues, as for the second hour, we do have people here to testify in the second hour and then we have one housekeeping motion that needs to be dealt with. We'll deal with that at the very end of the meeting today.
Minister, we turn it over to you now.