Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I won't ask questions of you, Mr. Cross, but I will say, after hearing some of your testimony, sir, that I think it's important that we be focused on economic growth, and I think that's economic growth per capita and some of the other measures that have been discussed.
You've compared us a lot to the United States. My impression of your assessment is that we are lagging behind the United States in some key areas. I actually think we're ahead of the United States in many key areas. I don't accept your assertion that we don't have global-leading companies. I don't accept your assertion that GDP growth is an important metric and should be focused on to the exception of so many others.
For example, yes, the U.S. economy has grown, as has the Canadian economy, and those numbers are very similar. What's interesting is how that growth has been enjoyed by a much broader group of people here in Canada than it has in the U.S.
I spent a couple of years living in the United States. I have many friends in the United States. When you observe the Canadian economy, I think what we're seeing is a much higher participation rate in employment. You're seeing a much broader growth in terms of the number of people and the share of the population that's enjoying that growth and the quality of life, which I think is measured in part by GDP per capita, but it's also measured in other ways.
I just wanted to get that on the record, because there was a lot of discussion and I didn't have a chance to ask you questions.
I do want to bring my questions back to our friends at Équiterre and Madam Brazeau, if I could.
Ms. Brazeau, earlier we talked about the importance of the pollution pricing system. You then said that it proved to be the most effective system. Can you explain why?