Thank you, Madam Chair.
I'd like to thank the witnesses for their testimony today.
Conservatives have always supported immigration that strengthens Canada's economy, attracts investment and brings the world's best entrepreneurs, innovators and highly skilled workers to our country. The start-up visa program was intended to make Canada a destination of choice for job creators and innovators, yet years of delays, backlogs and poor oversight have instead damaged Canada's reputation, driven investment elsewhere and undermined confidence among the talented individuals our economy needs.
Mr. Pierce, the SUV program was suspended on January 1. We have over 44,000 approved individuals in start-ups now sitting in a possible 10-year bureaucratic purgatory. Has the federal government's mismanagement of this program damaged Canada's reputation as a destination for global talent, in your view?