Thank you, Chair.
I'd like to thank our guests for being here today. It has been very interesting so far.
I happen to think we have a very unique opportunity in terms of our discussions right now because we are at the very earliest stages of our dialogue with Japan. In fact, for those who don't know, it was back just on March 7 of this year that both Canada and Japan released a report which they called the “Report of the Joint Study on the Possibility of a Canada-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement”. I think the testimony that you provide today is helpful, I think, in shaping some of this as it goes on.
It's interesting, Mr. Laurin; I have heard you make presentations to our committee before, and you seem to be more tentative today, more careful with the words you use in terms of your support for this.
I have heard you say...and I frankly took a little more confidence as you were talking, in some of your testimony since. But it just seemed to me that you were being more mindful and tentative with that support. Why is that?
Maybe my perception is wrong, by the way.