Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Good day, gentlemen.
Just to be sure we are not strictly talking about perception, I would add that for my part, I had the pleasure of meeting with members from a number of your organizations several weeks ago in Alberta. I also had an opportunity to visit the Suncor facilities. We had extremely frank and honest discussions with CAPP representatives. We also met environmentalists and first nations leaders.
Mr. Lambert, there is one thing I find quite interesting about your approach.
We need, frankly, a well-framed dialogue. If we believe, and rightly so, that the oil sands are a strategic resource, this shouldn't also be at the cost of our quality of life and our environment. I think we need a balanced approach, which is what I felt from what you said.
You have a famous name in Alberta, that being Dr. Schindler. He is coming out with some figures and some numbers, including on toxicity rates and all of that. You spoke about political freedom. I understand also that there might be some problem between the federal government and the Alberta government, because you don't have the feeling...who's doing what; there seems to be a problem there.
My first question—I would ask it of all three of our witnesses—is about our need for transparency if we want to make sure that everything will be okay. Transparency means having scientific figures. We have issues with the water; we have issues with the toxicity of the air; we have issues with the tailing ponds. I understand that we now have new technology.
What would be in the best interests of the Canadian people? I'm thinking of a monitoring process that would be acceptable and that would really show two things: first, that you're for real, and second, that we're addressing.... I'm talking about perception here. That would provide, probably from coast to coast to coast, a better perspective, or would address some of the perceptions that people might have against the oil sands.
Maybe, Gordon, you could start.