Thank you.
Thank you, Minister.
As this is your first appearance before a committee, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your appointment to cabinet and also welcome you here today.
As you indicated in your remarks, your portfolio is very diverse. You have responsibilities for transportation, infrastructure, and communities. But the issues are not only of critical importance to Canadians, they're also connected in terms of productivity, competitiveness, the environment, quality of life, and, as you reflected, the key role they play in the global supply chains that affect our global competitiveness.
I want to focus on the various infrastructure programs that target components of the national transportation system. Certainly the need is well documented. The Canadian Automobile Association estimates that the road and highway deficit is at about $22 billion. Given that there will always be tough decisions to be made about scarce resources, can you outline the basic philosophy behind the prioritization and selection of specific projects, including your own approach to resolving potential differing opinions among the various levels of government?