Thank you so much, Clerk. I want to thank Ms. Khalid for nominating me.
To all the members—I look to everybody here on the screen—I've had the opportunity to work with many of you in different committee and parliamentary work. It's a real honour to be able to continue to chair this committee. I know we have some previous chairs.
I believe, Mr. Reid, you were chair for quite a long time and we've heard about all the great work that you've done on this committee. Also, Ms. Vandenbeld has been a chair. I'm not sure if I'm missing anybody else who's been a chair, but I know everybody has participated in a very fulsome way on this committee.
When I say it is a special honour, it's because this is a very special committee. I know Mr. Chiu is new to the committee. I believe the rest, including Mr. Reid, are returning committee members. Everybody who has sat on this committee understands how special it is because of the way it works in a very non-partisan, consensus-finding manner. I think that has helped us manoeuvre through some very challenging files and issues, on which we were all able to roll up our sleeves and work so well together.
I believe we will continue to work in that vein. With that harmony, I'm sure we are going to be able to get a lot more good work done here in Parliament and able to dig into files that are important to our communities, to our country and to our standing in the world.
On that, I thank the clerk and the analysts we have with us because they are really the backbone of this committee and they serve us so well. I thank all of you. Also, I thank our interpreters who are helping us right now, and who—for those of us, like me, who are not bilingual—are able to support us with their good work.
I think at this time, Clerk, the subcommittee agrees that we'll proceed with the election of the vice-chairs.