Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Clark. Thank you for keeping your composure. I noticed that at times you went red, took your glasses off and kind of shook your head.
I also want to apologize on behalf of our side. We respect the work you're doing. We respect the person you are. We thank you for coming here and for answering questions. The name-calling is not something that we support. The point of view of the colleague across the aisle is not something that we share.
That being said, in your comments you talked about the fact that we should not look at trade as Canada only or as the U.S. only; we should look at trade as the North American bloc. That is, I think, the core of what we need to do, especially, as you highlighted, after COVID-19 and the restrictions around the supply chain, after the war in Ukraine and after the instability that exists in the Middle East around some of the energy sources. The more we are aligned with our neighbours and the more we think as an integrated bloc, with the ability to be able to respond within hours, as you said, is the core of this.
I want to bring another lens to it, which I think puts it into perspective. As you said, we are all, as Canadians and Americans, dealing with affordability and the cost of living. How will ensuring that this tight relationship not only continues to exist but focuses around energy, such as the zero-carbon economy as well as key critical minerals, ensure that the trading bloc becomes one and helps with the affordability and helps with the stability that we really need in this part of the world and that I can say doesn't exist anywhere else?