Thank you, Chair, and thanks to the committee for their consideration.
The essential nature of this motion is pretty clear. It spells it out that as the disaster is unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico—and it is a disaster by everybody's admission and observance—the U.S. Congress has been holding sessions, not with all of these same partners but with many, to discuss what exactly happened and what the situation will be going forward. In the Canadian context, I think it's important as well that we get these folks in front of us quickly.
I suspect that British Petroleum won't have the results of their investigation yet, because the oil is still leaking. They're going to be trying the cap today. But certainly given the number of leases being proposed or up for submission before the National Energy Board, including a number of wells even deeper than the one in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the nature of the regulations the government and the NEB are considering right now, the thrust of the motion is to have these companies appear before committee. I think it is also important to have the Nunavut and Inuvialuit Game Council before of us, because a lot of the conversation has focused around the Beaufort Sea and the proposed drilling season that's going on there pretty much as we speak.