Thank you, Mr. Chair. Welcome, everyone. Happy Monday, I guess.
To give my view of the landscape, I look at the wine industry in Canada as a Canadian success story. Call it what you may, it's bigger than that. It's about culture, tourism, engaging people, and having U.S. visitors come to Canada. From my vantage point in Vaughan, driving down to Niagara-on-the-Lake for the weekend—which I probably did before I had kids; after you have kids it changes a little—I understand the importance of the industry and such.
You've expressed some fears and concerns about the impact the the escalator would have on the industry. I specifically want to zero in on what the investment environment would be, because people are making decisions to employ, whether it's your grape growers, your bottlers.... We know that the Ontario food and beverage industry is the largest manufacturer and employer in the province, even larger than the automotive sector, so we know it's a very important industry. I'd like to get a sense of what you think would be the impact on investment and employment from the escalator.
I'll put that out there, please.