I agree with everything that Jocelyn just said—something that we've talked about here a number of times—but I think there are a couple of things that you hit on that we fully support as well.
This idea of connecting companies to the government support programs is critically important. If a company has five people, it has no one to actually do this. The vast majority—99%—of Canadian manufacturers and exporters have that. They're not the large multinationals. They're not the GMs, the RBCs or whoever. However, don't rely on the government to do it. Setting up systems—and we've talked to Minister Ng's office about this—just for the government to deliver programs does not work. Small companies don't want to hear from government. They don't care what government has to say. With regard to Jocelyn's point—and she's not exactly one of these companies, but along the same lines—if the government's there, it's typically there just to tax you more or to regulate you more. It doesn't really want to hear from you.
Leverage associations and groups like STEP, CME, chambers of commerce, Business Council of Canada, and Canada China Business Council. We're all resources that can be used and leveraged. Let us work with the small companies. Empower us. Give us the direct resources to connect us to our members and to the broader network of exporters to facilitate that.
We had called, for example, for an export concierge service that could be set up through the private sector to do exactly what you're talking about. Don't set up fancy websites and the rest of it. No one's using them. Actually get people to talk to each other. It's an amazing thing that happens when you actually talk to someone face to face and give them customized support, and that's what associations can offer.
This idea of coordinated market support and marketing support programs, again, doesn't need to be done just across the federal government, which is essential. It also needs to connect in through the provincial governments—and regional governments in some places—and then tie in the private sector support groups like us that are actually doing those types of things across the country already. Don't look at it just as a government initiative. Look at this as how you can tie the private sector into it to leverage this up.
If this is just left in the hands of the government, there's going to be a lot of the same type of stuff. It'll be out there trying to find companies to talk to. It doesn't really understand what's going on in the marketplace. It's two or three steps removed from it. That's our job. That's what we do, so help us do those things and then you'll have a lot better results.
I've said in front of this committee a number of times that STEP is exactly the type of program that should be replicated across the country, which is exactly what you're talking about. However, it's funded by the private sector with public sector support, and it gets the outcomes that we want.