I call this meeting to order.
This is meeting number 94 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 would ask all participants to be careful when handling the earpieces in order to prevent feedback, which can be extremely harmful to our interpreters and cause serious injuries. Please speak only into the microphone your headset is plugged into. 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. We appreciate your patience and understanding.
If any technical issues arise, please inform us immediately. We may need to 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 continuing its study of free trade negotiations between Canada and Ecuador.
We have with us today, from the Department of Employment and Social Development, Pierre Bouchard, director, bilateral and regional labour affairs.
From the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, we have His Excellency Stephen Potter, ambassador of Canada to Ecuador; Doug Forsyth, director general, market access; Dean Foster, director, trade policy and negotiations; and Reuben East, deputy director, investment trade policy.
Before I open up the floor for comments and remarks, the ambassador of Canada to Ecuador does not have a proper headset, so he will not be able to participate today.
After speaking with particularly Mr. Cannings, who would very much like to have your participation, Ambassador, we're wondering if the following would be possible. You could listen in on the discussion this afternoon. You will not be able to comment back, but if you would like us to make arrangements for you to appear on another occasion when you have the appropriate headset on, we can also make that arrangement.
What is the wish of the committee? Would we invite the ambassador to come back at another meeting when he has the appropriate headset on?
Mr. Cannings is saying yes.