Thank you, Mr. Longfield.
You've made some very valid points with regard to how important it is for businesses to have good connectivity in order to grow. I come from a fishing community, and we know that access to international markets is extremely important, the same as it is for agriculture. We know that in rural Canada access to broadband is extremely critical in order for businesses to continue to grow and be able to compete on the world stage.
With regard to how we achieve that, we need to have all partners at the table. This would include the federal government and our provincial and territorial partners, as well as stakeholder groups. In some cases, municipalities are stepping up because they realize how important it is for them to have that connectivity. It's not going to be a one-size-fits-all solution. I think every area has to be looked at independently, but also in recognizing that this has to be done with a whole-of-government and a whole-of-country approach.
We have been very fortunate. As I've travelled across the country since being appointed in January, meeting with communities from coast to coast to coast, no matter where I've gone, no matter where I am in the country, this is the number one priority that we're hearing about. I will also say that in engagement with my provincial and territorial partners, it's their number one priority. Everyone recognizes that this is something that needs to be done, and I'm happy to say that in most cases all of our partners are on board with this and want to see us make sure that we connect 100% of Canadians.