I'm going to carry on the questioning with regard to the BDC. I've been a Member of Parliament for 14 years and have met with the BDC a few times. They can't really provide you with a lot of information. They claim it's corporate entitlement in terms of disembarkment of agreements, and I get that to a certain degree. You could sign a confidentiality agreement, though, or you could even get some generalities. The meetings have been cordial, but I can't say much of what they do in my community, to be frank. All I can tell you is that I don't have anybody saying how wonderful it's been to have had BDC in the community.
We've had them testifying here and saying that they're going to be more open and more accessible. I see their commercials on TV and I get angry because they now focus on how they're going to be spending money on start-ups and so forth. The reason I get angry is that I'd like to know how much money they spend on commercials versus access. I have done some research, and I'm glad to hear there are other acknowledgements that BDC is at least somewhat representative of the Canadian mosaic with regard to its participation in start-ups.
I recognize that a role they should be playing when we have gaps in the system right now in financing from traditional lenders is that they should be more assertive and have a heightened response to risk, to a certain degree, given that they have these advantages. It does fall within the national spectrum of some of the things we're trying to accomplish in general in Parliament.
I'll turn it over for comment.
What would you do to help to bring accountability, which in my opinion is necessary? It's interesting. I see their big, shiny buildings, but I've basically been a social worker in the past on the streets helping people with disabilities to find work and training them on site. I don't see the same things happening from the big towers they have. I'm sure that after making these comments I will get calls from the BDC, which is fine, because this is how I feel.
I'm just looking for a model, or at least an accountability or measurement about how they can actually change this and do what, in my opinion, is necessary. I think they finally recognize it, many years and the many times I've had them in front of this committee.