No, that should be an idea across the board in the sense of generating goodwill. The problem with Buy American policies is that most of the time it is less about the actual procurement process than the perception it sends throughout the supply chain of the community. You'll have procurement officers at all levels of government, and even some in the private sector, saying that they'd better do things...that they don't have to give the best bid an opportunity, that they can keep it local. If we start encouraging that kind of behaviour and thinking about ourselves as one market in Canada, the U.S., and North America, it will serve as a barrier or a preventative measure against more protectionist action.
If you asked your average American on the street if they want to keep Canadian goods out of the United States, or about Buy American, half the time they'll say they didn't even know it applies to Canada. That's the issue usually. We represent American companies that have Canadians in their supply chain and are prevented from bidding by their own policy.
I do think that addresses the broader issue of what we're trying to accomplish in this NAFTA negotiation. These are not tooth-and-claw lunatics running trade policy in the White House right now. They have been speaking about these issues on China and Asia for 20 years. They have a policy. They are going after Asia. Now is the perfect opportunity to stitch North America, particularly Canada and the U.S., together as a bulwark against that. That's the case we should be out there making as opposed to saying we need access to this market and speaking in the language of 20th century exports, surplus and deficits, and those types of issues.