It's nice to be back. Thank you very much. Muchas gracias.
First, I'd like to thank our guests for being here today.
My dad was a truck driver, and he was probably the best economist I knew. While he didn't finish grade eight, he said that if you want to understand the state of an economy, follow the trucks. He said they were the best gauge of the status of the economy, because trucking is like the first responder and the first to feel the slowdown, and I think he had it right.
Mr. Bradley, I know we focused a lot on trucking today, and I think that's quite appropriate, but I thought your comments were exceptionally sobering in terms of no recovery in the freight volumes in the short or near term.
I did want to make one comment. In one of your more recent comments, you said we need to get “more than our fair share” as it relates to border trade. Actually, I think we do get more than our fair share in relation to the United States, but, frankly, as a Canadian, and as someone who exports, I'd like to get a whole lot more than our fair share. I never believe in fair share unless I'm winning really big.
I'm trying to get a sense of the practical approach we need to take, and I'm going to presume that, through some of the communications that you are providing to us, you are going to give us your thoughts—and I know we have through this assembly—on some of the focus points that you would like us to particularly focus on.
I've not done a trade mission to Washington, so as one of the newer members of this committee I would say I'm going at this with some open eyes, but I also understand, and I've heard the comments made from a number of committee members, the importance of having a really clear plan and having a focus.
Actually, Mr. Laurin, I think you made the comment about how important it is that we take the lead.
So I'd be interested, just as a broad comment, if there was one issue each of you had that we should take the lead on--from your perspective--in clear, precise terms. It can be a short sentence, by the way; we don't need to make them all long, and I don't mean that to be rude; I apologize, I didn't mean that as an offensive comment—