Yes, I'll keep it short.
I would simply note that when this committee studied this in the previous Parliament, it suggested that we should in fact move ahead with the agreement, but recommended that the government implement an aggressive maritime policy. I note that in the latest federal budget, a total of $175 million was allocated for coast guard procurement, refits, vessel extension.
Taking your point, Mr. Julian, I won't presume to speak for the shipbuilding industry in terms of whether that's adequate. However, I did note the testimony at this committee a couple of weeks ago by Karl Risser of the CAW shipbuilding council. He was, as you were, emphasizing the importance of such measures as capital cost allowance and putting more money into the structured financing facility.
I can't speak to how that would affect the individual industry, but I would note that as a broad-based association, we've been supportive of capital cost allowance measures as a tax strategy that is useful across the board. We also, on the budget, emphasize that the most important part of the budget, in our view, wasn't so much the stimulus spending side of it but what was done in terms of improving access to financing. We've commended in particular, for instance, the extension of more capital for the Business Development Bank and for the Export Development Corporation, which of course speaks to the ability of Canadian companies in shipbuilding and other industries to improve their export performance.
So in principle, better access to financing, better tax rules? We can support that.