Good afternoon, everyone. We will now proceed with this meeting.
I do want to say that this meeting is on a very important issue. There's no doubt about that. It's a very serious issue. I think it's obvious to everybody.
The reason we're having the meeting is that four members of the opposition, in proper process, have called the committee back. I want to read the terms as laid out in the letter from the opposition so that it's clear to everyone, members of the committee and witnesses, what we're here to discuss today and what we're not here to discuss today.
So I'll just read the notification that we got from opposition members asking for this meeting, as follows:
We the undersigned members of the Standing Committee on Natural Resources request that a meeting of our Standing committee be convened, pursuant to Standing Order 106(4), in order to study the prolonged closure of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited's NRU reactor at Chalk River, which has resulted in the decrease of supply of medical isotopes and a worsening health crisis, as well as the future of isotope reduction in Canada.
It's important to note that we are not the health committee, we are the natural resources committee. We're here today to discuss these issues as laid out in this notice from members of the opposition. We are not here to discuss health issues that are more appropriately handled by the health committee. Let's proceed on that basis.
I will explain who the witnesses are for this first panel, which goes until two o'clock.
We have with us, in person, Michael Ivanco, president, Society of Professional Engineers and Associates.
Thank you, Mr. Ivanco, for being here today. We appreciate it very much.
We also have, by video conference, Robert Atcher, president, International Society of Nuclear Medicine, and Sandy McEwan, special adviser on medical isotopes to the Minister of Health.
Welcome to all of you.
First of all, Mr. Ivanco, you can start with your opening statement. Then we will proceed, in the order that they appear on the notice, to Mr. Atcher next and then Mr. McEwan.
Go ahead, please.