Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I would like to pursue the subject highlighted by my Liberal colleague. I was a little surprised earlier, Mr. Farrell, in your presentation, when you opposed pension plans being regarded as preferred creditors at the end or in a bankruptcy, particularly since you are not proposing any alternative. It's easy for you to oppose that obligation, that avenue that could be explored. There is a lot of talk about it at present. Not to be socialist, as my colleague said, but we are very concerned about providing a minimum of protection for the public. We are talking about improving protection for the public as a whole, but I think we must at least meet some minimum when people have worked all their lives in a company, when they have sacrificed a portion of their earnings to accumulate a comfortable pension, and then they find themselves with nothing at the end. I think business owners can't say this isn't important because it would cost us too much. I'm wondering whether you at least have an alternative, to protect the public.
In Quebec, legislation was enacted last year. It means that when a company goes bankrupt, the Quebec Pension Plan, the equivalent of the Canada Pension Plan, takes over from the bankrupt company's pension plan. That is an approach that might be suggested. In that case, I put it to you, because you have no alternative for protecting workers who find themselves with nothing. What do you have to say in your defence?