I insist on how important it is to meet the minister. I, like perhaps some of my colleagues here, had the benefit of attending a briefing session held by the Department of Industry. In answering each one of my questions, departmental officials said that they were not informed of the department's political direction. I received 28 identical answers to the 28 questions I asked.
Quite simply, it is important to meet with the minister. The perception is that the political direction of the department has not been announced. Perhaps the minister will wish to surprise us, here in committee. It is a priority. As for the rest, I believe that it will be relatively easy to come to a consensus.
I listened to Mr. Crête talk about the manufacturing sector. All regions across the country are affected by the strength of the dollar. The situation is cause for concern and has a major impact on employment. Of course, consumers are victims of gas prices. Certain topics that we will be discussing are obvious. Therefore, we will not need several meetings to set the agenda. However, we must know the minister's position.