I'm going to call this meeting to order, the 29th meeting of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security, and welcome members of the public who are attending.
This is the first of 10 public meetings that we are going to be having over this coming week as we continue our study of the national security framework. There are two parts to the consultations that are happening right now regarding the national security framework. The government is undertaking its own consultations.
This parliamentary committee has decided to undertake a set of consultations to advise the government from a parliamentary standpoint with respect to changes, affirmations, or concerns about the national security framework as it exists right now in Canada.
This is the travelling version of the public safety and national security committee. We normally have 10 members on the committee; however, there are six who are travelling. I'm not going to say we're the best six, but that would be what I tend to think. We're representing the three parties that have standing in the House of Commons. For those of you who haven't come to Ottawa, this is exactly the same set-up as we would have in Ottawa for a committee.
In each of the cities we visit, Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, and Halifax, we will have an afternoon meeting where we bring in experts who are invited, who have either asked or members of the committee have requested that they testify in front of the committee to give us evidence as to their thoughts about the national security framework.
In each of the cities, we will also be having an open-mike session, where people from the public are invited to come and simply address the committee with their concerns. We're looking forward to that meeting happening tonight in this hall. Those of you who are in the public gallery for this meeting are invited to come back at 5:30 p.m., and the microphone will be yours. We will be listening to you tonight and engaging in that way.
I hope this is a robust discussion that we are beginning. We've had a couple of meetings already in Ottawa to start the committee on this study. We will be on the road for 10 meetings, and then we will continue in Ottawa with further meetings. Hopefully, we will have something to say to Parliament within a couple of months that the government can then use in its agenda in shaping Canada's national security framework.
I want to welcome our witness for the first hour, Stuart Farson, adjunct professor with the department of political science at Simon Fraser University. Thank you for coming.
We had another witness scheduled, who unfortunately had to cancel. We have Mr. Farson with us for the full hour, and we're looking forward to that. He may not be. Normally in these committee hearings, we hear from a witness for 10 minutes, but I'm giving him a little leeway with that, and then the committee members will ask questions.
Mr. Farson.