The Joint Chair for the House of Commons presented the First Report from the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure, which read as follows:

Your subcommittee met on Monday, May 31, 2021, to consider the business of the committee and agreed to make the following recommendations:

1. That unless otherwise specified, hearings held by the committee be divided into two one-hour panels, provided that two organizations or individuals be heard during each panel;

2. That the time for questioning witnesses on the panels be allocated as follows: approximately 30 minutes for members of Parliament on the committee and approximately 15 minutes for senators on the committee, provided that the time allocated among members of Parliament be determined after consultation with the recognized parties of the House and then approved by the committee, and that the time allocated among senators be equal between the five parties and parliamentary groups of the Senate;

3. That the members provide the joint clerks with the names of the witnesses they would like to invite to appear, provided that once a consolidated list has been compiled, the analysts could also propose witnesses, with a view to complementing committee members’ suggestions and ensuring that all essential witnesses are included;

4. That the committee meet on Monday, June 7, 2021, in camera, to discuss the work plan during the first hour of the meeting, and then in public to hear from Department of Justice and Department of Health officials.

It was agreed, — That the First Report from the subcommittee be concurred in.

It was agreed, — That the motion adopted on Wednesday, May 17, 2021, be amended by the following:

That witnesses appearing before the committee be given five minutes to make their opening statement and that the order of questions for the first round of questioning shall be as follows: five minutes House of Commons Liberal, five minutes House of Commons Conservative, five minutes House of Commons Bloc Québécois (BQ), five minutes House of Commons New Democratic Party (NDP) and three minutes for each senator. Questioning during the second round shall be divided as follows: three minutes House of Commons Liberal, three minutes House of Commons Conservative, two minutes House of Commons BQ, two minutes House of Commons NDP.

It was agreed, — That the work plan be adopted.

It was agreed, — That the members provide their lists of suggested witnesses, pertaining to the first phase of the work plan, to the joint clerks by Wednesday, June 16, 2021.

At 7:13 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 7:26 p.m., the sitting resumed in public.

Abby Hoffman and Joanne Klineberg made statements and, with Jacquie Lemaire, answered questions.