Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
I want to thank the witnesses for being here today. I am very concerned with the testimony, though.
We'd been hearing it from other witnesses, before the fall economic update, that the IRA was supposed to be the fix for Build Back Better. It seems that the Canadian government has not been engaged. It was actually passed August 16, and a lot of our witnesses, before the fall economic update, were looking for urgent action. Waiting until March or April is not acceptable.
I think Mr. Masterson, just at our last meeting, said that the time for study and debate is over. The Business Council of Canada has argued that Freeland can't afford to wait, urging her to move the budget date to February instead of March or April.
Mr. Risley, we had Madam Vera-Perez from the Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association say that with our lack of action, “Canada is falling behind” and we have to “reclaim our leadership”.
It's extremely urgent. Even the fall economic statement concluded, “Without new measures to keep pace with the IRA, Canada risks being left behind.”
I'm very, very concerned, because the things we're being asked for seem.... You know, it's talked about in the update, but nothing is solid in there. Nothing's certain. With the American uncertainty, we're seeing businesses concerned that maybe they're going to go down there right away, before the change can happen in the United States.
Mr. Gorman, in Oshawa I'm surrounded by nuclear power and the auto sector. You mentioned some things that could help with competitiveness. You mentioned the green bonds, I think, to allow government-owned businesses to have access to tax credits and refurbishing. Could you please tell the committee if there is anything the government could do before March or April, or whenever they're going to come out with the next budget, that could give some certainty to the market? We'd like to see that business attracted here, to Canada, instead of losing out to the United States.