Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I'd like to share my time with my colleague, John McKay.
I would like to thank all of the witnesses for appearing before us here, this afternoon. Thank you for your testimony regarding your often very difficult situation.
Since I think virtually all of you are concerned with issues surrounding the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, I'd like to begin with a couple of words on that, plus the situation of the long-term disabled, and then ask a question or two.
We in the Liberal Party.... Let me put it this way. Judy Sgro, who is the pensions critic for the Liberals, and myself as finance critic, will be recommending that the Liberal Party support the NDP private member's bill on amendments to the BIA, as and when it comes to the House of Commons. We don't know when it will, but as and when it does, we will recommend Liberal support for that.
In addition, just today, I think this afternoon, Senator Art Eggleton presented a bill in the Senate that would give higher status to those on long-term disability, and in the Nortel case and also in other cases would guarantee that those individuals received the money and the medical treatment to which they are entitled. We are hoping--we don't know yet, but we are hoping--given the catastrophic situation facing these individuals should this bill not pass, that this bill in the Senate might command all-party support. But it's too early to know the answer to that yet.
I'd like to ask Mr. Sproule a question. Just today in the House of Commons, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty was asked about amendments to the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, and he said the following:
...as was stated in the Speech from the Throne, work is being done on that issue. It is an important issue for Canadians and we have to try to move forward on that issue. But on the broader pension issue, again I say to the member opposite, we have one of the best pension systems in the world....
Blah, blah, blah. That part is not important. The part that is important is.... That part is certainly questionable.
The specific point I want to address is Mr. Flaherty's statement that work is under way by the Conservative government to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, and since you and your group, Mr. Sproule, are at the centre of this issue right now, with the Nortel people, my question to you is whether Mr. Flaherty or Mr. Clement or any other member of the government has approached, since the tabling of the budget, either you or a member of your group to advance the cause on amendments to the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act.