Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Ministers, for coming out this afternoon.
I want to talk about the economy also, Minister Finley, but before that, I want to talk about something that is really near and dear to my heart, and that is of course foreign credential recognition. As you know, in Calgary Northeast, my riding, we have a large number of new Canadians and also Canadians born in Canada who have their professional qualifications from overseas, from outside of Canada.
The fact is.... This is in no way or shape a request or a recommendation for a lowering of the standards we require in any profession, but at the same time, it is clearly in Canada's interest to fully utilize all the human resources available to maximize our economic activity.
I know you are aware of the study this committee has been doing on the foreign credential recognition process and how we can move forward to ensure that foreign-trained individuals can contribute to the Canadian economy to the fullest. I would like your comments on two things. Would you like to comment on this committee's current study? Also, would you please make any observations you would like to on the FCR process?