Good afternoon.
Welcome to the 27th meeting of the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology. We are meeting pursuant to the order of reference of Friday, May 8, 2009, concerning Bill C-27, an act to promote the efficiency and adaptability of the Canadian economy by regulating certain activities that discourage reliance on electronic means of carrying out commercial activities, and to amend the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Act, the Competition Act, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, and the Telecommunications Act.
We have in front of us today two organizations and three witnesses. We have Mr. Dennis Dayman, who is the secretary treasurer of the Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email; we have Mr. Matthew Vernhout, also from the same organization, who acts as director at large; and finally, we have Mr. Michael Geist, who is appearing as an individual but who also serves as Canada research chair of Internet and e-commerce law at the University of Ottawa.
Welcome to all three of you.
We'll begin opening statements with Mr. Michael Geist.