Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
Thank you to my colleagues for appearing.
Madam Diab, you've made an argument about procedural fairness. I would just note that to go from Larry Uteck to Lower Sackville, it takes 14 minutes. Larry Uteck to Cole Harbour, where another hearing was held, is 31 minutes. From Hubbards to Lower Sackville around St. Margarets Bay is 43 minutes. Hubbards to Cole Harbour is 56 minutes. Peggy's Cove to Lower Sackville is 51 minutes. Peggy's Cove to Cole Harbour is 59 minutes. In other words, residents from those areas could get to a hearing in less than an hour. In some instances it would take a half-hour or even 14 minutes, plus of course any virtual hearing.
I would submit respectfully that, on that basis, your procedural fairness argument is rather weak.
Mr. Fraser, you talked a little bit about communities of interest and the connection between Antigonish and Pictou County. I think you raised some valid points in that regard, but at the same time, no federal riding is going to be perfect, or it's often difficult to draw a perfect riding. Sometimes lines have to be drawn at a certain place, and the commission acknowledged that they had heard conflicting input. Some residents supported extending Antigonish into the lower strait area, which encompasses four counties, while others did not. Some of the commonalities, as I understand it—and I would be interested in your input—between Antigonish and the Cape Breton component of the riding include a common chamber of commerce, a health authority that had been in place until recently, a regional hospital, the same public school administration, a community of faith with the head of Catholic diocese in Antigonish as well as a radio station XFM 989 CJFX.
I would just welcome your comments based on my—