Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I do have a short opening statement.
The Department of Western Economic Diversification is a regional development agency in the innovation, science, and economic development portfolio. Our mandate is to promote the development and diversification of the economy of western Canada, the four western provinces.
We are seeking a minor amendment to our enabling legislation, the Western Economic Diversification Act.
Currently, in order to sign an agreement with a province, the act requires that our minister first seek the approval of the Governor in Council, essentially cabinet and the Governor General. This requirement can add months to the process which can delay the implementation of federal initiatives as well as provincial initiatives. We're seeking to amend the Western Economic Diversification Act to eliminate this requirement. This change would allow us to respond more quickly to opportunities to collaborate with provinces in areas of shared responsibility.