Well, I'll just say this. We've actually met with department staff at Transport Canada, and they don't even have a program for floating dry docks. That's why Port Alberni can't even apply for it.
I think the federal government, especially when it comes to procurement and seeing skyrocketing costs, needs to examine all opportunities, especially in markets where there's a.... The only deep-sea port on the west coat of Vancouver Island is in Port Alberni, but there are rural communities that have huge strengths, in that there are lower labour costs and, as well, skilled labour from other sectors that could be transferable.
Now, I look at government policies, and there's that 25% tariff, for example, to build ferries outside of Canada that was in place so that we would deter companies and governments from building boats in Turkey, Poland and other places. The Conservative government of the day removed it in 2010, and that actually helped to deplete the capacity of shipyards right across Canada.
Is the government looking at policies like that and at reinstating those policies? That 25% tariff generated $118 million annually. That could be reinvested in building capacity. The more the capacity, the lower the ship costs come down. That's what the PBO stated when he testified here at this committee.
Do you support new types of policies that are going to support the domestic shipbuilding sector so that when bids come up we're more competitive?