Welcome to meeting number 48 of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs. For the first hour this evening, we have witnesses in connection with the study of the experience of women veterans. The second hour will be devoted to committee business.
Before we get started with our witnesses, I just want to remind everybody that tonight we're continuing our study on the experience of women veterans.
We have with us two witnesses here in person, and we have one witness online as well.
Just so that everyone knows, I will be chairing at least the first portion of the meeting. I expect the chair to arrive at some point during that first hour or thereabouts, and he will probably chair the second portion of the meeting when we move in camera. He asked me to fill in unexpectedly, so I am going to do that until he arrives.
For the first hour, we will have our witnesses for the study. We are joined here in person by two of them. Karen McCrimmon is a former member of Parliament and a retired lieutenant-colonel. We also have with us the Honourable Rebecca Patterson, a senator for Ontario. Joining us by video conference this evening is Lee-Anne Quinn, a retired major and a nurse practitioner.
We'll move right into our testimony.
I just want to remind everybody that if there is anything we deal with this evening that causes you any concern, or if you would like to seek assistance as a result of sensitive matters we may have to deal with, please reach out to our clerk. That applies to our witnesses, as well as to anyone else in the room, including our members. Please reach out, and we can make sure help is provided to you.
With that, I'll introduce our first witness. We'll start with Senator Patterson.
I'll turn the floor over to you. You have five minutes to make some opening remarks.