As a member of the supply council, I was representing Canada's manufacturers and exporters. The objective was to provide some insight, some ideas and some feedback. We knew we were being asked, especially in those first challenging months, to provide fairly quick feedback on ideas and on initiatives that the government was working toward.
People were beginning to talk about how we could recover, and my view was to create a stable, secure supply in Canada that would benefit Canadians. There were many businesses wanting to step in and support the recovery of Canada and, where possible, provide a local supply that would be very valuable inside the overall context.
The objective was to provide advice and insight. We knew that we weren't participating in any decision-making. Our views were being listened to as counsel only, but were not used in decision-making.