Thanks very much, Chair.
I'd like to thank our guests for their testimony today. It is appreciated very much.
It's interesting. Last week we had our officials in to give us a broader overview of this procurement agreement, and one thing that's very compelling to me.... Last year, our committee travelled to Washington, and we selected four issues that we felt were critical to deal with. All parties around this table agreed on the four topics that had to be discussed, and it should not shock anyone that Buy American, and the provisions associated with that, was one of our major topics and a great concern to us.
Why? My political colleagues and I would hear from our businesses--businesses that, by the way, run because employees need to work and make that happen. There was huge concern about Buy American, and as I say, all parties accepted that. That was when we visited various members of Congress. That was one of the issues we dealt with.
I say that because I hear the rhetoric, if I might call it that, the comments on different perspectives from Monsieur Laurin versus Mr. Sinclair and Madame Healy. It won't surprise you the side that I come down on. I say this as a businessperson more than a politician, but I'm compelled, Monsieur Laurin...when you talk about the members you represent, you said that 47% of manufacturing in terms of your membership is export.
It begs the question, are we better off as an isolated, protectionist country, when first, it's not our history, and second, when I look at, for example, the cars that are made in this country, where the United States is the major export market? I'm not here to ask that as a question but to make the point that if we were not a trading country, I think the implications would be far greater in terms of our economy. I would agree with Ms. Healy on this one particular point, that the economy is fragile. It absolutely is, and our recovery is fragile, but when the International Monetary Fund and others say that Canada was the last to get into this global mess and the first to come out, I'd say that's very, very positive.
Enough of the speech, because it felt like a speech, and I'm sorry for that.
Monsieur Laurin, a question for you. We've heard both sides of this equation, so to you I would ask, what would happen if we didn't have this agreement? You've already said better this agreement than not an agreement. If we didn't have this agreement, what would you imagine?