Good afternoon. I'm happy to call to order this 37th meeting of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security in the 42nd Parliament. We are continuing our study of the national security framework.
In order that our guests and the public know, this is the first of two meetings today. At this meeting we have invited witnesses the committee would like to hear from, and they bring their expertise. In the evening, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., the public comes, again with expertise. Their expertise may be different from that of the so-called experts, but the committee equally wants to hear from them.
These are meetings numbers 9 and 10 of this week. We began in Vancouver on Monday, where we had two meetings. Then we went to Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal, and now we are in Halifax. This is fairly early in our study of the national security framework.
There are two consultations going on simultaneously.
The government is having a consultation. It has issued a green paper to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. That green paper consultation is going on at a government and departmental level.
The parliamentary committee is doing its own study. We are obviously aware of the green paper, and it helps us frame our study, but we are not limited to that, nor are we from government. Even though some of us are from the government side of the House, others are from the opposition side.
I will simply have the members introduce themselves, starting at my far left, so you know who you are speaking to.