I guess I'm expressing some urgency here. While we have done work--and again, I give you kudos for that--what we're hearing is we have a significant barrier to access to capital. One of the key ways is through the small business financing.
I want to turn, if I may, Madam Minister, to venture capital. We had the venture capitalists in recently and they talked about what they call a perfect storm right now. Especially in the high-tech sector, of course, venture capital is key. It's actually one of the drivers. Banks don't traditionally lend as much as is required in that sector, so they really do need to turn to venture capital.
A point they raised was that there's a real need to change the SR and ED rules, the scientific research and experimental development tax credits. I would like your comments on some of those SR and ED rules that need to be changed, specifically toward ensuring that small and medium-sized businesses, especially in the high-tech area, are encouraged. They also talked about procurement as a way of maybe encouraging investments in the capital funds, and the potential of a substantial fund similar to the ones in Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta, principally to recapitalize the industry. Those are some of the suggestions, and I'd like your comments on those.