Thank you.
All three of the witnesses, Mr. Chair, have given testimony that is actually really disturbing, in the sense that Canada seems to be now so far behind.
Mr. Tirpak, you talked about this bill, and Ms. Peace as well, about this congressional process under way, which is absolutely extensive. It's a bill, as Mr. Murrow put, that is trying to embrace everything, including the design of a cap and trade system, ultimately pricing carbon, and lots of debates.
Ms. Peace, you told us that the agricultural committees, natural resources committee, foreign affairs committee, and other committees in the American Congress are fully engaged in this race.
Can I go back to something you said, though, Mr. Murrow, that is really concerning? You said that if Canada and the United States were going to have a serious integration on an approach to a continental response to climate change, you would put down a couple of conditions. You said, for example, that the caps have to be fixed in absolute terms, similar between countries. You said all gases sectors, fossil fuels, have to be included. There would have to be offset standards for international offsets and credits, something this Conservative government rejects. There has to be a price control mechanism and a similar carbon price.
How is it possible that Canada is going to find its way through the Copenhagen round of negotiations when the United States is so far ahead in terms of the design of a comprehensive response to climate change and we have gone to Copenhagen now with a blank sheet of paper?
We have nothing going on in Canada. None of these elements of this debate are being put forward in the House of Commons. No committees are being engaged, not even this committee, except through Bill C-311 because we extended the debate.
Can I get your reactions, Mr. Tirpak, Mr. Murrow, and Ms. Peace, to the state of the situation in Canada? Mr. Tirpak?