Thank you very much.
Good morning, gentlemen.
I've always said — and, if you haven't said it yourselves, you think it — that, when we talk about globalization or free trade agreements, everyone wants to globalize here and that we want to globalize somewhere else. Trade continually runs in both directions. However, the parties don't always have the same weight in terms of production and development, among other things.
Someone spoke earlier about natural resources. Indeed, they are important for Canada, but the economy that's increasingly developing is based more on what I call value-added, an intangible aspect of products based on innovation, creativity and, if we want to produce more, efficiency and competitiveness. In negotiating free trade agreements with other countries, Canada must really be convinced of its ability to innovate, to be productive and to compete around the world, as it were. Canada's ability is relatively limited, if only because of the difference between its population and that of the United States. The latter only needs to increase its production by six or seven percent and Canadian markets are invaded.
Having regard to these principles, what does Canada do? We know, as regards innovation and creativity, that the knowledge economy is based on raw materials. Here we're talking about secondary and tertiary processing. What is Canada doing in terms of support for businesses? Not all businesses have the R&D capability to achieve this kind of innovation and creativity. I think this is very closely linked. What kind of support are we giving those who negotiate overseas?