Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
First of all, I would like to thank you because it was your testimony, given last October, that prompted committee members to ask for a postponement, until March 2007, so that we could examine the situation. In December, the minister decided to circumvent our motion, but since that did not suit the committee, we passed a motion to do an exhaustive study on the whole issue of regulation.
Would you agree that the minister should wait for the results of our consultations, which will take place during the course of eight meetings, before deciding which instructions he will be issuing with respect to deregulation?
I'd like to have an answer from each of you. I see that there is strong opposition in three out of the four briefs.
Mr. Lavoie does not appear to be opposed, but I would like to hear his opinion on the relevance of conducting a study to ensure that the model we decide to use will be determined by an acceptable democratic process.