Thank you, Chair.
I want to pursue the issue with you, Mr. Oram, of what we've been able to accomplish, in the short order we've been in government, with respect to training.
In the 2006 budget we incorporated a $400 million payment to provinces and territories that were linked into the agreements that were going to be working on adding investments in public transit. We also included $900 million in further investment. That was put in a third-party trust for provinces and territories that were working toward a more structured and solid infrastructure for transit systems. Then, of course, we included the tax credit for purchase of monthly passes. I certainly appreciate Mr. Savage's support for that endeavour. It didn't come on budget day, necessarily, but certainly his question is leading and shows that perhaps we could expand that as a positive thing for the country.
I think part of the reason you're here today is that we have moved in this direction and that you see a potential for the country, from an environmental and a user perspective, to expand it.
I want to get your thoughts on the fact that it has been implemented over the last couple of decades in the United States and maybe get a little more detail about how the policy actually works on the ground.