Thank you, Chair.
My first thought is that we do have our parliamentary secretary back, and I want to hear from the government side on what accounting Natural Resources does in terms of tracking jobs. I want to make sure we're asking the department to do something that they actually do. And if they do, then I think the idea of a comprehensive report is a “state of the economy” type of thing.
I would also be curious to know, through you to the parliamentary secretary...because in some government agencies there are projections done as well, or estimates, that obviously are not held fast and firm. It's important for the committee, if we do receive these reports periodically, to see that point in time. Some agencies also attempt to do some sort of projection based upon the numbers they're getting in terms of investment cycles, etc.
I'm initially supportive, then, unless there seems to be some reason this couldn't be done. Coming from a sector of the country that has all of these industries represented, I know the job losses in the last little while have been extraordinary. And I would suggest that these are structural job losses. These are not temporary. There is something structurally shifting in our resource extraction economy in this country. Obviously it's beyond worrisome--an understatement.
So I am initially supportive, but I'm curious to hear from the parliamentary secretary on the viability of this motion.