At this time I'd like to call the meeting to order.
I want to extend a very warm welcome to everyone here.
This meeting is on chapter 2, “Intellectual Property”, of the spring 2009 Report of the Auditor General of Canada. It's very much a horizontal issue, colleagues, so we have a large number of witnesses here from various government operations dealing with the issue, which is the management of intellectual property on a pan-government basis.
First of all, from the Office of the Auditor General, we have Auditor General Sheila Fraser. She's accompanied today by John Affleck, principal. From the Treasury Board Secretariat, we have Daphne Meredith, chief human resources officer. From the Department of Industry, we have Paul Boothe, senior associate deputy minister. From the Department of Health, we have the deputy minister, Morris Rosenberg. From the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, we have the deputy minister, Claire Dansereau. From the National Research Council of Canada, we are very pleased to have the president, Pierre Coulombe.
Again, welcome to each of you.
We have opening remarks from six witnesses; we're going to start off with you, Madam Fraser, for five minutes, please.