Ladies and gentlemen, we're moving now to an order of reference from the House of Commons, that being Bill C-8, An Act to implement the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Agreement on the Environment between Canada and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Agreement on Labour Cooperation between Canada and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
We're going to begin the discussion of this bill with a briefing by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade to give members some background. We will be pursuing this topic until it is dealt with in committee. I'll just advise the committee that on the return from the break week following this week, we will return on the Monday to hear our first witnesses on this subject.
I've asked for suggested witnesses from all. I've heard from the NDP and the government. So if you have witnesses you'd like to propose for this debate as time goes on, please get them in to the clerk. We certainly have enough to begin that consideration on the first Monday, but we'll be at it for awhile, so you're welcome to get those in over the next 10 days.
With that, let me please introduce our guest. We have a familiar face returning to the committee, the assistant deputy minister of trade policy and negotiations, Don Stephenson.
Don, thank you very much for coming back. I see you've brought a crew with you—for your self-defence, I'm sure. We only have about 40 minutes today once we get started, so I don't think it will be too rigorous this first go-round.
Joining Mr. Stephenson is Doug George, the director of bilateral market access and the chief negotiator of the Canada-Jordan free trade agreement. We also have returning to us a familiar face, the general counsel for the market access and trade remedies law division, Tom Zuijdwijk. Thank you for coming back. As well, we have John Holmes, the director general of the Middle East and Maghreb bureau.
From the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food, we have Gilles Gauthier, who's been here before as well. He is the director general and chief agriculture negotiator of the negotiations and multilateral trade policy directorate. And from the Department of Human Resources and Social Development Canada, we have Debra Robinson, the director of international labour affairs.
Thank you all for coming. I'm going to ask Mr. Stephenson if he would give us a brief opening statement or overview for as long as he needs, and then we'll have a round of questioning.
Mr. Stephenson.