Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Chair, when it comes to technology companies, Mastercard may be a credit card company, but it's also a technology company. Most of the technology companies are big today. Take Ericsson. Take companies like Google. There are a lot of companies.... For example, Ford is an automobile manufacturing company, but its technological development centre is in Ottawa. We need to invite, to ensure that these companies that are leading in technological development are located in Ottawa. It is in the interest of Canada. It's in the interest of Canadians that this technological advancement take place here.
As a developed country, we have to take measures to ensure that Canada is at the forefront of new technologies. New technologies come most of the time from big companies like Google. It is very important for us, I think. To use layman' terms, we need to chase these companies, to go after them and convince them to set up operations here.
When they do that, the knowledge that a lot of the experts, the engineers and the technologists who work in these companies generate here will be available to Canadian society as a whole. I think that should be the approach. That should be the tone taken. It should not be: “You know what? Let them go to Seattle, not Vancouver.” That should not be the approach.
I think we have to treat the companies with respect. We may have differences, obviously. We will have differences when it comes to Mastercard or any other credit card company charging undue amounts to Canadian consumers, and I think we should call them out. We should take necessary actions, but when it comes to technological development, I think we should treat them with due respect.
I support the subamendment proposed by my colleague Mr. Van Bynen.