Thank you, Mr. Chair, and gentlemen.
When I came from the airport, the taxi driver told me what I was seeing would not be here in the same way if I came here a year or two from now, and that there would be continual changes in the area, as many of you have referenced today and as earlier speakers mentioned. He had a great deal of insight into what's taking place here, and it was very eye-opening for me as a prelude to hearing you today.
We've heard references to a need to change and improve tax policies, trade agreements, and of course to the importance of research and development investments in partnership with industry. How important is that element--the investment--to develop the new products, in view of a lot of the testimony that has suggested heavily that we are not creating technology at the same rate that we are losing it to China and other markets? I'm talking specifically about the investment in R and D and the role that you believe the federal government--of course, along with the provincial government, but in this case we're talking federal--needs to play in terms of helping to turn the situation around.