Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I want to thank our guests for being here today.
I really don't have many questions, but I do have some comments I'd like to make.
First of all, I was part of the Texaco-Esso merger. And it wasn't a merger. They sold off their Texaco unit because of a lawsuit south of the border. I was working for Texaco and ended up working for Imperial Oil for a number of years--loved Texaco and no comment on Imperial Oil.
Let me start with Mr. Vincent. Mr. Vincent, I've sat on committee with you before. I appreciate your commitment to things. My issue is this. This is my third private member's bill in the last number of weeks, which is down to one or two clauses. One had seven clauses and eight amendments. Another one is down to one clause. This is a one-clause bill. I'm not a big fan of private members' bills. I think it highlights the issue. But this is a one-clause piece, and we're calling it legislation.
I want to know who you consulted with. Other than sending it over to the Library of Parliament to send you the legal wording, who did you meet with? Did you talk to the Competition Bureau about what you're proposing? Did you meet with individuals in the field? What I don't like about them is normally there's zero consultation. Normal bills, bills that are presented by whoever is in government, are usually a binder full of stuff, have full consultation with the public. Can you name me anyone you talked to about this before you brought it forward?