Thank you, Madam Chair.
I just want to note that we had close to 45 minutes of sound checks and then 10 minutes of explanation on how to use Zoom, so I hope that can be rectified in the future just so that we have more time to question the government and scrutinize this issue.
I would like to start with a couple of housekeeping items.
I note that we invited the Minister of Industry to this committee. The Minister of Industry has not appeared before this committee at all in this Parliament, and we're quite a few months away from the election at this point in time. Even though he's been invited several times, it's always been told to this committee that he's not available or that he can't find time in his schedule. I find that completely unacceptable.
I hope that my colleagues on the government side share my concern that he has elected to not find time to be accountable to this committee at all. As such, pursuant to section 1(n) of the motion passed in the House of Commons on Saturday, April 11, I move:
That the Minister of Innovation appear before the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology at any time that accommodates his schedule before April 30th for a meeting of 2 hours on the subject of the COVID-19 pandemic.