Thank you very much, and good afternoon to all of you.
I am happy to be here with you.
I thank the chair and the members for the invitation to spend some time with you this afternoon, and I want to thank my officials who have joined me here today.
The importance of the work you're doing in this committee for Canadians can't be overestimated. I want to thank you in particular for undertaking this very serious study, and I very much look forward to hearing the results of all of the hard work you've been doing over these past weeks.
I'll start my comments in relation to the fact that you have been undertaking a study on suicide in indigenous communities. I think it would be fitting for me to express first my recognition of and my condolences to the families and the communities who have been most seriously affected by this issue and who have lost family members, friends, and community members to suicide. They need to be at the forefront of our minds as we have these conversations. I am sure—