I have to admit, Mr. Chair, that Mr. Saxton's remarks disturbed me somewhat.
He almost seems to be suggesting that the work of the Standing Committee on Finance is of little importance. And yet we deal primarily with the directions we will take, the budgets we adopt and issues related to the economy. This is fundamental.
The fluctuation in the exchange rate of the Canadian dollar against the American dollar is of course one of the very numerous consequences of the decline in the price of oil. Another is an increase in the cost of fruit and vegetables imported from abroad. This has a direct impact on middle-class families. That is a very specific example among many others, and with all due respect to the work of the Bank of Canada, the Department of Finance and other organizations, our committee must get to the bottom of this and analyze it all. We have to define or at the very least try to see where we are headed with all this.
The last Monetary Policy Report of the Bank of Canada was extremely clear. Indicators showed that Canada's position is not very competitive in the face of the challenges posed by the decline in the price of oil on world markets. This is causing a transition in our economy and in activities in various parts of the country. It is important for the people of Alberta, among others, to know what is going to happen to them and what we are going to be able to do to help them with the challenges they face. The same thing applies to the people of Quebec and other parts of the country.
So I absolutely do not understand how anyone can minimize the interest of the topic my colleague Nathan's motion proposes we study.
I will conclude with that.