Ladies and gentlemen, we're continuing our 40th meeting now. I'd just like to let the witnesses know, both by video conference as well as live here, that I'm going to introduce you in a second.
For the witnesses and guests in the room, the members have been here since 8:30 this morning, and I think many of them had meetings prior to that as well. So if you see members getting up to go back to grab a morsel of food, please don't take offence to that. It's because I wouldn't want them to falter and pass out here from lack of nourishment.
In front of us we have Jim Keon, who's president of the Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association, and Jody Cox, director of federal government relations. As well, we have David Schwartz, chair of the biotechnology patents committee with the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada.
By video conference...now I only see one person actually in front of me, but I see four squares by video conference, so I'll just make the introductions and hopefully they will come on the screen momentarily. There's Paula Akugizibwe, from AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa. As well, we have Andrew Jenner, director of intellectual property and trade with the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations. We have Frank Plummer, scientific director general, national microbiology laboratory, for the Public Health Agency of Canada; and Antony Taubman, director of the intellectual property division with the World Trade Organization.
The witness we have in front of us now is Mr. Plummer.
Mr. Plummer, good morning.