Thank you, Mr. Chair.
How much time do I have? I'm going to split my time with my colleague, given that there will only be one round of questioning.
Good day, gentlemen.
Today's witnesses represent the shipbuilding and agricultural industries, two fairly sensitive areas, as far as our party is concerned. We are in favour of the proposed free trade accord, but we do have some reservations about these two areas.
I listened to what Mr. McArthur and Mr. MacPherson had to say.One of the two said that initially, he was in favour of excluding shipbuilding from the accord. Mr. MacPherson, on the other hand, has always maintained that this industry should be excluded. Yet, we sense that both these individuals held out some hope that in spite of the agreement, the government could put forward a real policy for the shipbuilding industry.
Over the years, you have gained some experience. The government has two programs in place: the structured financing facility and accelerated depreciation. That's all very good, but there are a slew of other programs included in the $4.3 billion in investments announced by the government for the next 30 years. These investments could be made over a shorter timeframe. For example, they could be made over the 15-year period during which tariffs are to be eliminated.
Do you hold out any hope that the Canadian and Quebec shipbuilding industries will be able to survive if there is genuine political will to support their development?