Order, please.
Welcome to the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology.
This is our 48th meeting, and pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), we are studying the recent economic performance of small and medium-sized enterprises in Canada.
If you look at your orders of the day, you'll find that from 3:30 to 4:30 we'll have the Honourable Minister, Diane Ablonczy, Minister of State, Small Business and Tourism, and witnesses
Marie-Josée Thivierge, Assistant Deputy Minister, Small Business and Marketplace Services;
Coleen Volk, associate assistant deputy minister, industry sector; John Connell, director general, small business and tourism branch; and Patrick Hurens, director of service industries directorate. Then from 4:30 to 5:30 we'll continue with the National Research Council.
For now, what we'll do is open it up to our witnesses. It'll be a 10-minute presentation, if you like, and we'll continue with questions afterwards.
We'll begin with Minister Ablonczy. Thank you for being here today.