Thank you very much.
Thank you for joining us. I want you to know that I am deeply concerned about the whole issue of foreign credential recognition. I, myself, am a member of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec. I have attended a number of general assemblies and been critical of the fact that they are not moving fast enough to my taste on this issue.
We all recognize, of course, that certain qualifications are required to work as an engineer in Quebec. Relations with the Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement, or the BAPE, can vary from one location to the next. However, the fact remains that the laws of physics are the same everywhere in the world, and if you are capable of building a bridge over the Tigris River, then you can build one over the St. Lawrence or any other river.
It has been said that this matter comes under provincial, in this case Quebec, jurisdiction. I'm not convinced by the federal government's actions. I think this money would be better invested in each province to help them develop their own programs. I believe Mr. Owen alluded to the lack of uniformity. An immigrant who arrives in this country cannot easily move from province to province. Even people who have studied here in Canada experience the same problem. A person who graduated with an engineering degree in Manitoba must be accredited before working as an engineer in Quebec. Therefore, a national framework or standardization process would be difficult to implement, given that provincial practices differ.
Don't you think the federal government should focus on informing people properly about the different provincial programs and directly encourage the provinces to assume this responsibility?