Thank you.
Now, with your permission, I will put some questions for the Bloc Québécois. I can assure you that I will respect the regular seven-minute time limit.
Ted, you can sit with me and watch the clock.
The thing that we find very complicated and difficult to understand, is the fact that on April 27, we were told that a large part of the industry, although it is not enthusiastic about the agreement, felt that it was better than continuing the proceedings, given the situation, and specifically in Quebec.
Now, we feel that there is some haste. That is what I heard from the Ontario and Quebec councils. I would like to know if the same thing is happening in Alberta. As the minister said in the House the other day, this haste is due to the fact that we want to get the fees back. In a sense, if we got the fees back immediately, as proposed by the representative of the Ontario council, we might have more time to negotiate a proper agreement. The Americans probably want to hold on to the fees as a trump card.
At this time, should the Canadian government not give loan guarantees to the industry so that it can negotiate in a favourable climate? We are being presented with a fait accompli. Mr. Emerson mentioned this several times, and I do not think that you have much sway over the negotiations at this time.
Finally, I would like an answer to this question. Would it not be better to give loan guarantees to the industries in the form of letters that would allow them to use the fees that they expect to receive as collateral, so that they can have the possibility of waiting perhaps until September or October when they could conclude a proper agreement, rather than to hastily conclude a poor agreement that we will have to live with for the coming seven or nine years?
Mr. Grenier. If the representatives of the Alberta council want to intervene, they are also welcome.