Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. It is a pleasure to welcome our panel of witnesses on our study of Bill C-51 and to bring this meeting of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights to order.
It's a pleasure to welcome Mr. Kmiec to one of his first justice committee meetings. He's been to a couple before, but it's nice to have him here. He always contributes very well when he's here.
It's a pleasure to welcome Mr. MacGregor back to our committee.
Today we welcome our first panel of witnesses: as an individual, Mr. Steve Coughlan, a professor at the Schulich school of law at Dalhousie University; the Canadian Council of Churches, represented by Peter Noteboom, the acting general secretary, and Mike Hogeterp, the executive committee member responsible for the commission on justice and peace; and from the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, Mr. Bruce Clemenger, president, and Ms. Julia Beazley, director of public policy.
Welcome. We'll go in the order in which your names appear on the agenda, so we'll start with Mr. Coughlan.
Mr. Coughlan, the floor is yours.