Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thanks, Rick, for appearing before us.
You relay a story about ACOA being extremely successful in terms of stimulating innovation in Atlantic Canada—and yes, indeed you have. I think the organization has brought a tremendous amount of leadership, expertise, as well as dollars, badly needed money, to creating an innovative culture and capacity in the Atlantic region, which I think is a model for the rest of the country.
This is where we get into more of a philosophical debate about innovation and the innovation chain. I was reading an interesting editorial or column in The Globe and Mail on Saturday by the president and vice-chancellor of the University of Calgary. He made the point that in Canada we're extremely good at innovation, but not very good at the innovation chain or making these technical advances translate into commercial activity. The president of the University of Calgary said that establishing networks to be able to facilitate a completion of that chain was absolutely essential to the commercialization of Canadian innovation and prosperity in Canadian business. He referring specifically to those knowledge networks like CCFI that allow basic or pure science to be translated into applied science and into commercial innovation. He said that was lacking.
We heard from the executive director of the CCFI that there may be a concern on ACOA's part that the linkages in that innovation chain, when it comes to the fishing industry, are mature enough that CCFI is no longer needed.
Rick, would you be able to describe to us how the fishing industry has this critical issue so right, and how it can be used as a model for the rest of the country, because it's clearly lacking for the rest of the country?
I know we have a limited amount of time, but I have a second question. The CCFI has met or exceeded all provisions under third party delivery mechanisms, as outlined in both the Treasury Board and the Auditor General's remarks. Is there anything we should know that CCFI is not doing in this regard that causes concern for ACOA? If so, we're not aware of them. In fact, I understand that CCFI has been audited on numerous occasions, and it's been said that they've met all of those third party delivery requirements—and if not met, they've exceeded them.
On those two points, Rick, if you could enlighten our committee, that would be great.
By the way, thanks for coming on such short notice. I appreciate it.