That's a very timely question. Earlier this month, a number of our Atlantic members came to Ottawa for Atlantic day on the Hill, when we released our recent report focused on Atlantic Canadian members and what they need.
To your question, the procurement side is exactly what they need support with. The government, as an early adopter, can be an early validator for companies. A question that is often asked when a company goes to sell abroad or to another country is, “Are you currently selling to your home country's government?” When the answer is no, that raises some questions that are sometimes awkward and uncomfortable for our members to navigate. For better or for worse, Canada is starting to develop a reputation, and that question is not even asked, because other governments are aware that our government isn't buying from our most budding technology firms.
When we talk about buying Canadian, we really want to see the Canadian government lean into that and buy from companies that are truly Canadian. We have a lot of very talented companies in Atlantic Canada—I'm thinking about natural resources in particular—and we really need to tap into our homegrown talent. When we're asking for the government to buy Canadian, that is what we're looking to do. It's making sure our innovators are competitive in the process and that they get their opportunity.