Thank you, Mr. Laforest. That is a very good question.
The primary objective of the Canadian Secured Credit Facility of $12 billion is to make more cash available to the financial companies dealing daily with automobile dealers in Canada. At present, these companies cannot access the financial market. They aren't able to sell their commercial paper, which normally would be purchased by insurance and pension-fund companies, etc. This market has completely dried up on account of the world credit crisis we're now going through.
By means of the Canadian Secured Credit Facility, the Government of Canada is going to take the place of these investors temporarily and purchase their commercial paper. This way, the financial companies that could normally acquire cash on the open market to finance dealers' operations will now have access to the cash required to continue to enable dealers to build an inventory and offer attractive incentives to consumers.
The $12 billion will be used solely for this purpose. This program has no other raison d'être. We're encouraged by the fact that the government has seen the possibility of becoming temporarily involved in this program. I say "temporarily" because, as soon as the economy recovers, the investment market will no doubt return and the government will have a natural out. We don't expect that this program will have to last for more than two or three years.