On that point, I think I agree with you, Mike, that we need to stay focused in terms of our primary mission. But there's so much overlap in natural resources.
With respect to Mr. Cardin, if you look at, let's say, forestry, there's the growing of trees, there's the processing of trees, and then there are trade agreements. If we apply that so rigidly, I think we wouldn't be fulfilling our responsibilities. I think if you look at softwood lumber, whatever is done there will heavily impact the natural resource economy.
So if we could use as a guiding principle any issue or any policy matter that can impact on the natural resource sector, or that the natural resource sector is driving, it should be of interest to this committee. Then it's a question of do we do it jointly? Is another committee working on it? I think we'd be remiss in just applying a very limited parameter to that.
I think having the department here on Thursday is good. They do have a whole deck, believe me, and they can do that on Thursday, I'm sure. Then at some point I think the minister will come for the estimates, or is it the priorities and plans? I'm not sure of the timing or sequencing of all that, but at least we should get the minister here at some point.
In the interim, I wonder if we could ask the parliamentary secretary to feed into this committee what the general sense of the program of the government is that could take up some time of the committee. That would be helpful.
I think we should get the minister here. When would the minister be called, for example, for the estimates? What's the timing on that?