Yes. Thank you.
I think the idea of bringing in some witnesses and getting all members of the committee up to speed on the various sectors, perhaps starting with the department to describe the various portfolios that are under NRCan, would be a good approach. We might want to prioritize that at some point.
I know that softwood lumber is primarily a trade issue, but it seems to me there are some issues, for example, the anti-circumvention clause, that raise questions about forest policy and the ability to have independent forest policy in Canada. After the department, we could invite the FPAC, the Forest Products Association, and maybe other stakeholder groups.
I'm certainly going to go out to the oil sands in Fort McMurray sometime in the next few months. If the committee could organize a tour out there that involves a visit to Fort McMurray, with maybe some meetings with the oil and gas industry and other stakeholders in Calgary, that's certainly something I would support. In the Liberal caucus, many of us haven't had the opportunity to visit the oil sands. That would certainly be my preference. I know there are other options we could look at, but I think the oil sands and that whole development is a huge project in Canada. It has a number of implications that we need to understand very clearly. I think if the committee were to bring in the Energy Dialogue Group to help orchestrate that, my preference would be to go the oil sands, with maybe a day in Calgary to meet some of the stakeholder groups.
I think energy is going to be a big-ticket item in terms of the work of this committee. There are a lot of opportunities and a lot of challenges.
Then later, if we bring in the mining industry, there are issues there too, of course, about reserves, access to labour, and a whole host of other issues.
If we start with the more general briefing by the department and bring in the various stakeholders, my preference would be to start with softwood lumber. There's a certain timeframe during which that deal will be fastened together. I think there are some issues that affect the natural resource economy in that agreement. I'd like to see them discussed at this committee.
My second priority would be to look at the energy issues, maybe starting with an orientation by the Energy Dialogue Group and then visiting the oil patch in Fort McMurray.
I think the general orientation you've proposed is a good one.