Thank you, Mr. Chair. Welcome, Minister, and thank you for your comments and your continuing leadership.
I have to admit that I found your comments on the innovation and infrastructure side refreshing. The ability to move people, goods, services, and information from both rural and urban Canada to where they need to be is crucial for our long-term prosperity. On the innovation front, we need to be part of those ecosystems that exist and form every day. That's where the high-quality, high-paying jobs are, so we are going in the right direction. I'm glad to be part of a government that recognizes that.
What I would like to ask is more of a broad-based question. I've called Bill C-15 “the blueprint after the budget“. What I would like to know is how this begins a major step forward to enhance Canada's long-term growth profile and to strengthen our middle class, while doing so in a fiscally prudent manner.