I call the meeting to order.
This is meeting number 93 of the Standing Committee on International Trade.
Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format pursuant to the Standing Orders; therefore, members are attending in person in the room and remotely using the Zoom application.
I need to make a few comments for the benefit of the witnesses and members.
Please wait until I recognize you by name before speaking. For those online, please mute yourself when you are not speaking. For interpretation online, you have the choice, at the bottom of your screen, of floor, English or French. For those in the room, you can use the earpiece and select the desired channel.
I ask all participants to be careful when handling the earpieces in order to prevent feedback, which can be extremely harmful to interpreters and cause serious injuries. Please speak only into the microphone your headset is plugged into and place earbuds away from the microphone when they are not in use.
As a reminder, all comments should be addressed through the chair. For members in the room, if you wish to speak, please raise your hand. For members on Zoom, please use the “raise hand” function. The clerk and I will manage the speaking order as best we can, and we appreciate your patience and understanding.
If any technical issues arise, please let me know immediately, and we will suspend to ensure that interpretation is properly restored before resuming proceedings.
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the committee on Tuesday, February 6, the committee is beginning its study of free trade negotiations between Canada and Ecuador.
We have a draft budget that's been circulated to all of the committee members in the amount of $15,150. Is there any discussion on that?
Is everybody in support of the draft budget?