Thank you, Madam Chair.
This is a very important study that we're doing on CARM. We heard from a wide array of witnesses who spoke to the implementation of CARM and the way shipments are released and cleared through customs. The accounting side of it, at the end of the day, which is where CARM comes into force.
We heard about the “big bang” day coming up very soon, on May 13, and the importance of perhaps more testing and of working more with industry to see how we can do a phase-in implementation.
We were supposed to be discussing a report today. I know we're waiting on documents from the CBSA. There are hundreds of pages that need to be translated, and I know my colleague will get into that.
I hear you. I hear the industry. We know the concerns and we want to make sure we work with industry, because we don't want to impact trade. At the end of the day, we want to make sure that trade flows through our borders and that this doesn't impact our economy or jobs on the ground.
Speaking to that, we are doing that valuable work, and today we're supposed to discuss the interim report and come back to the House, but it's important to note that this is based on Auditor General reports for over a decade now. This is a CARM program that was put forward by governments before us and funded by governments before us. We know we need to come to it because it ensures that the treasury is protected and that duties and taxes are accounted for in the appropriate manner.
Madam Chair, I think we need to talk about this motion a little bit more in terms of the impact it could have to our study.