Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Jean Michel Laurin, and I am Vice-President of Research and Public Affairs for the Quebec division of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters. I would like to thank the committee for the opportunity to express the views of the manufacturing and exporting community on the bill that is before you.
I'm pleased to be accompanied by Mr. Robert Hattin, President of Edson Packaging Machinery Ltd., an Ontario manufacturing firm, and he's one of our active members.
Before continuing, I wish to say a few words about our organization. Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters is the nation's largest trade and industry association. We have members in all ten Canadian provinces. We represent all sectors and sub-sectors of Canada's manufacturing and exporting communities, including equipment manufacturers, such as the one represented by my fellow panellist, in addition to businesses from other industrial sectors.
In Canada, the industrial sector creates 2 million jobs. This may represent 17% of our GDP, but amounts to two thirds of all exports. Two thirds of all Canadian exported goods are manufactured here. The export sector is currently facing significant challenges, but remains very important and constitutes Canada's economic engine.
We are here today because we're opposed to Bill C-257, notably because of the impacts it could have on Canada's exports and also because it prescribes a cure for which we don't see any ill.
Our members at CME depend on Canada's trade infrastructure to ship their products to their clients, to get the raw materials and the machinery they need, and to meet clients and suppliers inside and outside of Canada. The services provided by railway companies, trucking companies, ports, telecommunications service providers, and financial services providers are all essential for us. Without them, manufacturers simply can't operate their businesses, because these services are such an integral part of our operations.
I'll turn it over to Rob, who will explain in greater detail our specific concerns with this piece of legislation.