Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Good morning, gentlemen.
This week—Tuesday, if memory serves me well—we heard from the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters Association as well as the Canadian Council of Chief Executives. Following our discussions and the answers they provided to us, it seemed clear that both organizations supported the principle of equality of opportunity in terms of trade for all industry sectors.
We know very well that Norway has benefited for many years, if not decades, from substantial subsidies for the development of its shipbuilding industry. That was not quite the situation here in Canada. And yet here we are, talking about equal opportunity.
There are mainly two measures being presented to us that concern the shipbuilding industry. I imagine that the Minister of Industry is an integral part of any free trade agreement negotiations, specifically with the objective of giving this industry the opportunity to get off the ground over this long period of time. For the rest, we might have to look a little further. Furthermore, several people were saying, as did Mr. Laurin from the Manufacturers and Exporters of Canada, that certain components should be taken out of the accord that should not necessarily be considered as subsidies.
Other than the two measures you presented today, does the department intend to provide stimulus to the shipbuilding industry over this period? Has it done any analyses that would help it bring this about?