Finance committee  Well, my comment was specifically to natural gas. That is the comparison we've made.

Finance committee  The gas market situation is very different. The same type of treatment applies to an oil well drilled in the United States versus an oil well drilled in Canada, so the same issue applies.

Finance committee  CAPP's position on the price of carbon is that we need to be very mindful of where the U.S. policy goes. We would not rule out a price on carbon, but in the approach to competitiveness and how we approach carbon policy in Canada, we need to be very mindful of where our neighbours to the south are going.

Finance committee  CAPP has spoken out about the need for a national energy strategy, and we support that view. We also are very mindful of the need on the ground to reduce carbon emissions, and our industry has done a great job of that I think over the past many years. We would argue strongly that for those industries that compete in the U.S. market, it's very important that we have a carbon policy that is not necessarily exactly the same but that is aligned with and compatible with that of the United States, because we're competing in that market.

Finance committee  I guess the first comment I'd make is that we don't accept the presumption that our industry is heavily subsidized. There's been a lot of material on the record that makes the case, at least from CAPP's perspective, that in fact we are not subsidized. Again, we think competitiveness matters and that we ought to be looking at how our industry is taxed, how our policy on carbon and other environmental matters in Canada compares with that of the United States in particular, because that's a significant market for us.

Finance committee  Well, there are a couple of comments I'd make, Mr. Cullen. First of all, on the profits, the money that gets made in this country gets reinvested in this country—

Finance committee  —in most cases with respect to the oil and gas sector. It is reinvested to create the kinds of jobs that the building trades talked about. So I think it's very important to look at this in the context of its being, yes, a request for incremental tax relief, but it is driven by competitiveness considerations.

Finance committee  I'll take the first two and I'll let Eric take the third one. First of all, with respect to the U.S. tax treatment, what we're suggesting is not a direct stimulus or cash payment from government. What we're saying is that the Canadian tax treatment for natural gas development expenditure should be comparable to that of the U.S., so we're trying to create a level playing field and make Canadian gas more competitive in the Canadian and North American market.

Finance committee  Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee. I'm Dave Collyer. I'm the president of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers. I'm joined by Mr. Tom Huffaker, who is our vice-president of policy and environment. I recognize that you have our pre-budget submission, so I will try to be brief in my remarks.

Finance committee  Perhaps I can start by responding to that and I'll invite Don Herring to add his comments to it. As I said in my remarks, it's certainly not for us to judge how, across the country, you choose to make your decisions. We can only speak to our industry. Certainly in the last 12 to 18 months we have seen a very significant downturn.

Finance committee  I'd be happy to. First of all, in terms of the economic contribution, there are just a couple of statistics that might be helpful. Indirect and direct employment from the oil and gas sector across the country is about half a million people, so there's a very significant contribution to jobs across Canada.

Finance committee  Let me just make a couple of observations in response to your question. The first is just to clarify the proposal that we've made. On the scientific research and experimental development program, it is to broaden the eligibility. So we're not asking for the introduction of a new program; it's simply to broaden the scope of expenditures on technological innovation that would be eligible for that program.

Finance committee  Perhaps I can refer specifically to greenhouse gas performance. This is Environment Canada data. Since 1990, we have improved the greenhouse gas intensity of the oilsands production by 33%. So there has been a very significant improvement in the overall greenhouse gas performance of our industry.

Finance committee  And as I referred to in my earlier response, 33% improvement in greenhouse gas intensity is significant.

Finance committee  Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee. Thank you for inviting us to appear and to share our proposals with respect to the next budget as it pertains to the oil and gas sector. I'm David Collyer. I am president of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, or CAPP.