Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I won't get into the full (a), (b), and (c) of the motion, but I will get into the general spirit of it. Why I think it belongs here at the industry committee is that the pipeline purchase and the potential expansion of the pipeline will have direct competitive implications not only on the industry itself, that being oil and natural resources, but also on the subsequent markets the products then go to, especially given the fact that we now have public participation in the distribution of the product. That subsidization potentially could affect Canadian businesses.
For example, if in the expansion of the project and the diversion, the products going through the pipeline go to China and are used to produce steel that competes against Canadian industries, or if they're actually fuelling components, it's something that we at least need to have a discussion about and hear some witnesses on.
There are significant consequences with regard to the supply chain, the cost for consumers, and the viability of different products in the market. You have the outright industry itself in terms of how consumable oil and other energy products are used for the production of goods and services, and then, if they are publicly subsidized, you have the actual use and the competition with similar ones that you have to compete against. That's why I believe it would be appropriate to have hearings on this motion.
I will conclude by saying that I will be keeping an open mind in regard to our current studies, but if we can't get this done by the end of this session, I'm hoping that perhaps some meetings in the fall would be appropriate, so that we can provide at least a bit of a lens on the positive, potentially negative, or challenging consequences. Again, it's about amelioration for markets, consumers, and competitors when there is government intervention in this respect.