Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you, gentlemen, for being here today and sharing your expertise with us.
Thank you very much, Mr. Mooney, for getting up so early in the morning.
You've spent most of your life, I think you said, in the north. You've returned there and are using your expertise to focus on technological issues in the north, which I think is very interesting. As you no doubt know, because you're one of them, northerners have contributed greatly to Canada's economy and to the economy of that region. You'd probably also know that Minister Aglukkaq, who will be chairing the Arctic Council for Canada, has spent a considerable amount of time in recent months meeting with northern community groups to ensure that northern communities are being listened to and that it's their issues and their thoughts and concerns that are being carried forward to the Arctic Council and become part of Canada's Arctic policy.
Can you tell us in your opinion how important the views of the northern community are with regard to Canada's Arctic policy?