Thank you. That's a very good question.
I think this is an important point: the GPA rules, and in fact even the temporary arrangements--and I think this is an important point--ban what they call offsets. Basically, offsets are when governments, procuring, go out to negotiate with suppliers for local benefits, like the 60% local content in the wind energy contracts negotiated by Quebec Hydro. Those contracts are a good example because the successful suppliers were foreign companies, European companies, German companies. I want to make that point quite clearly. You can use procurement as an instrument of economic development policy, and it has been used very successfully in many countries, including Canada, on a non-discriminatory basis. What you lose in these agreements is the ability to even encourage or require local benefits, whatever the nationality of the company.
I'll end on this. When you are making massive public investments through your purchasing in, say, a field like renewable energy, I think most Canadians would feel that's public money and that governments should be looking at the best deal with whoever, whatever company provides the greatest overall benefit to the local or regional economy.
I don't see that as protectionist. If it is protectionist, I think it's a sensible economic policy.