I would like to take this opportunity to assure the CMAJ editorial board that I share their appreciation for the quality of CMAJ and the position of the journal as the premiere peer-reviewed national medical publication in Canada.
It is precisely to maintain and enhance the quality of the journal that the CMA Board of Directors recently approved the creation of an independent Journal Oversight Committee to clarify the mandate of the journal and the role of the editor and to help maintain the journal's editorial independence. This initiative builds on positive experience elsewhere. I am certain this and other measures undertaken by the CMA in close collaboration with CMAJ will resolve any confusion about the relationship between the association and the journal it owns.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to clarify this issue.