If I could just add to what Steve said, in my view, in order to ensure the most efficient supply chain, it is important to be able to look either within and outside the country in order to optimize business practices. At present, we have a contract to manage all federal and Government of Ontario buildings. This contract was negotiated with the previous administration. We had to compete to win the contract.
It is cheaper for governments to contract out this service and it allows us to gain some experience. We can handle procurement responsibilities more cost-effectively than the government. Furthermore, we demand a certain level of service. In the process, we acquire all the experience we need to do business with the government and to make our procurement processes more efficient. This experience also stands us in good stead when we carry out private projects.
Consider the case of Canada Line in Vancouver. We put together the funding, working with the BC government, the federal government and the local government. I believe we contributed 25% of the funding. We are constructing the Canada Line and we will manage it for 30 years. Subsequently, we will be able to export the knowledge and experience acquired.
According to the latest figures, I believe we are either the world's leading, or second-ranked, engineering firm in terms of service exports. Therefore, it is important to be able to work in your own market, at home, in order to gain credibility abroad. That is why we work with EDC and with Foreign Affairs. This collaborative effort is important.
Personally, I would like to work a little more closely with our trade officers in the case of supply chains abroad. It is not a matter of substituting Canadian jobs, but rather of preserving and protecting them and ensuring that they remain competitive. Otherwise, if we cannot stay competitive, both here in Canada—because there are increasingly fewer tariff barriers—and abroad, we will lose our industries. Therefore, we are working with the people of India and China to create Canadian jobs...