Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, madam and gentlemen, for being here today.
Certainly I think everybody would agree that the priority and focus of the Government of Canada today, and the international community, gives longer-term confidence and encouragement for the resources being used in the area. Of course there are many needs throughout the area, but I believe the security of the country and lessening of the security difficulties there is at the heart of it.
One of the other things I saw when I was there was the political aspect of it. Being there for the election of the Parliament, I certainly would like to hear more from Mr. Wood on that aspect. It certainly was very evident to me that there was a disconnect from the communities that elected somebody to the central government and much more work being done with 45 or 50 political parties on the scene. I would like you to make a few comments on the progress being made in that area, and maybe you could submit something in writing to us so we can better understand.
The second question would be to Mr. Dade. As I said, the security aspect is very important, even to the encouraging of families sustaining jobs and work. Also, we visited the Gildan manufacturing concerns. I was quite impressed with their facility. Those were double minimum wage jobs, and there were thousands of them. If one Canadian business can do that in an area, then certainly there could be encouragement for others. With all due respect, I think these things have to follow in stages of security, good governance, and a climate that would encourage this type of development.
Mr. Wood, maybe you could touch on some of the advances you've done, and then, Mr. Dade, perhaps you could comment. Maybe the climate is better for this type of realization.