Finance committee  What I can do is discuss the net benefit factors that are included in the Investment Canada Act. They're listed in section 20 of the ICA, and they include the effect of the investment on the level and nature of economic activity in Canada, including employment, resource processin

Finance committee  In terms of providing an example, this is a new measure. It's like what kind of security.... That's not specified in the text.

Finance committee  Such a change would certainly change it. It would change the aspects of it that relate to commercial confidentiality I spoke to earlier. What I can do is just restate the idea, which is that the confidentiality provisions are there to provide an environment that is conducive to

Finance committee  Yes.

Finance committee  I certainly appreciate the question and that there's an understanding I can't speak to political issues. I also would have to say respectfully that I can't speak to individual cases or examples out there. I can touch on the point with respect to public information and how the I

Finance committee  These amendments do provide for increased disclosure in the sense that—

Finance committee  That would seem to make sense.

Finance committee  Certainly net benefit is central to the review process under the Investment Canada Act. I could reiterate my offer of going through what the factors are in current law.

Finance committee  The net benefit factors are.... Perhaps I'll let my colleague speak to them. She has her notes ready.

Finance committee  The only thing I would add to that is that the reasons would only be disclosed to the extent that they don't harm the commercial interests of the Canadian business or the investor.

Finance committee  Thanks for the question. I can certainly appreciate the spirit in which the question is being asked. My answers will be limited mainly to the actual amendments I came prepared to speak to, but I also can speak to what the net benefit test currently is and what the factors are th

Finance committee  One thing that has been done recently is the competition policy review panel that was done in 2008. My colleague Patricia could speak to what it said about the issue of the Investment Canada Act.

Finance committee  I'm not aware of that.

Finance committee  Certainly. Thank you. My name is Gerard Peets. I'm the acting director general at marketplace framework policy branch at Industry Canada. I'm here with Patricia Brady, who is the director of investment policy. We're here to speak to division 28, which would amend the Investmen