Thank you for your questions.
I will start with your last question, which was whether a decision had been taken. The answer is no, a decision has not been taken with respect to those matters associated with AECL that you speak of when we refer to the National Bank report. What I can tell you is that in approaching the issue of AECL, there are three important considerations that one must have in mind. Number one is the one I spoke of first, which is that with respect to the total energy mix for Canada and the pursuit of the ideal of having 90% emission-free electricity by 2020, one has to look at all the mix, and nuclear energy is an important part of that mix. An important piece for us in moving toward a cleaner, greener society in Canada is having nuclear as part of it.
The second part that's important, as well, is one I mentioned earlier, which is this burgeoning.... Actually, it's there. It has been there for 50 years and has continued to grow. It's an important part of the Canadian fabric and an important part of the Canadian economy, and that's the nuclear industry itself. It's a very strong industry. It is incredibly technical. We have great pride in our engineers here in Canada. We have wonderful nuclear engineers. We have great manufacturing facilities. We have excellent abilities to do research in the nuclear field, and in fact, in many ways Canada has been a great leader in the world in nuclear energy, both in terms of reactors and in terms of nuclear medicine. We have very much to be proud of. You have to consider this when you look at the concepts and issues related to nuclear energy.
The third piece is the business piece, which is the part about the fact that the government is representing the citizens of Canada as a shareholder in AECL, which is a crown corporation. In that vein, the taxpayers of Canada have to ensure that there is good value for money within the company and that whatever investment they're making in AECL, through the budget or through research or through education or through technical advances, is beneficial to the Canadian taxpayer and is a good return on investment.
Those are the three policy drivers through which you view Atomic Energy Canada Limited.
The government announced the review of AECL last year. It was part of the due diligence and the commitment to good governance and responsible management that came out of an unprecedented event in December 2007, when unanimously the House, in committee of the whole, indicated that it was extremely important to open up the NRU in order to continue the production of medical isotopes. The overall objective is to bring forward options to strengthen the corporation and to build on our nuclear expertise in a changing marketplace.
National Bank Financial has provided external financial advice on potential options, or the best position, for AECL in the future. We'll take their recommendations into consideration as a key element. That would go, of course, to the part I spoke of in terms of whether there is a good company entity there to ensure that it is not only part of the energy mix, is not only part of fostering the nuclear industry, but is a good return on investment for the Canadian taxpayer.
It's premature to talk about the outcome of the review. It'll continue for some months. It is with the department officials who are reviewing it. We'll be considering the recommendations when the recommendations and the review are concluded.