Government Operations committee  No, we just can't bid on these contracts. They're far too large, and that's the issue. We should be benefiting from all these contracts. For the past contracts that were awarded, like the FELEX, the mid-life upgrade of the frigates, we should have received part of that work. That

Government Operations committee  Yes, they will, I believe. At some point, I think we'll see oil and gas, the exploration at least, or seismic activity, happen on the west coast. I'm worried that if there's something signed with Norway, we may have Norwegian vessels being built and sent to Canada, especially whe

Government Operations committee  Thank you very much. I appreciate your taking the time.

Government Operations committee  Thank you very much. I'm very glad to hear that your family was involved in this industry and it's in your blood. Sometimes it can get very difficult. It's in your blood, and that's why I'm here today. We recently built ferries in Germany, as I mentioned in my evidence. BC Ferri

Government Operations committee  I think we can get our share of specialized vessels that will be built. For instance, Japan and Korea pretty well kept their numbers up internationally by specializing in vessels like liquid natural gas vessels in Korea and specialized freighter-type vessels in Japan. Certainly y

Government Operations committee  I would say they are not efficient. They need to have a mandate. They were given a mandate, and I don't see how they are going to reach it, given what they have done in the past. In the last two years nothing has happened, I can tell you that.

Government Operations committee  Nobody in our sector who I've talked to, on either coast or in Quebec, has dealt with OSME or had any benefit from OSME.

Government Operations committee  I could give you the names of many businesses. There might be too many to list. I would say that some of those businesses do not even know that OSME exists. I know they exist because they made a presentation to a forum I was at, and I saw that Minister Fortier was coming. At the

Government Operations committee  Yes, I do.

Government Operations committee  Thank you.

Government Operations committee  It's been 25 years.

Government Operations committee  This is a problem that has been going on for many years. Now that the government has decided to spend a lot more money on defence, arctic offshore support, the coast guard, and those types of issues, it's becoming a much more important issue to me. We are trying to survive righ

Government Operations committee  That is correct, and I would say the situation is similar in Quebec and on the east coast.

Government Operations committee  I do not know why. I believe it should be treated with the upmost importance, given the amount of money the government is spending on this industry and the amount of money they will be spending in the future.

Government Operations committee  It's very complicated. I shouldn't say it's complicated for them to do; it's very easy for them to do. But I think that because of the dollar values of the contracts and because of what you see now, with between 90% and 100% of the marine work going to one company on the west coa