Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I would certainly like to echo the comments around the table about Small Business Week and the Year of the Entrepreneur. As for the economic engine that drives our economy, 98% of the businesses are small businesses. I represent an area in the Okanagan in the interior of British Columbia. It's very vibrant and it is small businesses that keep our community that way. We have some larger businesses--some aviation and forest industry--but small businesses are the backbone.
I was at one business last week for their second-year anniversary. Their sales have grown 44%. It's aviation electronics. They commented about their appreciation of SR and ED, but about the complications, again, of having to hire a consultant to get through the bureaucracy.
I would like to follow up on the chair's comments about the Jenkins report. He said it was an expert panel. I think we heard from Sue about her successful business and her experience.
I'd say you're an expert, Sue, so let's define what an expert is.
There is the aspect that it's people who have experience on the ground. I've heard similar comments about putting the money into BDC and government going to venture capital, which just seems like an oxymoron, to my mindset.
I'd like to hear a bit more of your perspective on how we can particularly improve the process of procurement.
Also, Jeff and Cathy, you might not have the specific information right now, but perhaps you could provide to the committee an example of how the SMEs have been basically prevented...or discriminated against by having procurement refused. If you have any specific cases, I'd be interested to hear about them.