Members of the Committee present: Rick Dykstra, Rob Merrifield, Massimo Pacetti and Thierry St-Cyr.

Acting Members present: Gerald Keddy for Ted Menzies, Alexa McDonough for Thomas J. Mulcair and Michael Savage for Hon. John McCallum.

In attendance: House of Commons: Catherine Cuerrier, Committee Clerk. Library of Parliament: June Dewetering, Principal Analyst; Alexandre Laurin, Analyst.

Witnesses: Accor Services: Richard Oram. Association of Nova Scotia University Teachers: Marc Lamoureux, President. Canadian Federation of Students - Nova Scotia Component (PSEC): Kaley Kennedy. Halifax Chamber of Commerce: Valerie A. Payn, President. Sport Matters Group: Ian Bird, Senior Leader. New Brunswick Non-Profit Housing Association: Gary Glauser. Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union: Ian Johnson, Policy Analyst and Researcher, Post-Secondary Education Coalition. Sierra Club of Canada: Gretchen Fitzgerald, Director, Atlantic Canada Chapter. Symphony Nova Scotia: Erika Beatty, Chief Executive Officer. Canadian Association of Social Workers: Glenn Drover, Social Worker. Canadian Healthcare Association: Sharon Sholzberg-Gray, President and Chief Executive Officer. Heritage Canada Foundation: Chris Wiebe, Officer, Heritage Policy and Government Relations. Imagine Canada: Teri A. Kirk, Vice-President, Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs. National Association of Indigenous Institutes of Higher Learning: Trevor Lewis, Chair. Nova Scotia Federation of Labour: Betty Jean Sutherland, Vice-President-at-Large. Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants: Roberto Jovel, Coordinator, Policy and Research.