Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to the witnesses for coming out this afternoon.
I'm swamped with all the numbers, Mr. Chair. There are so many conflicting views here. On the one hand, we are studying energy security here. I believe we all understand that the requirement for energy will increase globally in the coming days. Mr. Coutu made a comment that all forms of energy should be developed responsibly. It seems, from his presentation, that the oil sands sector is improving technology consistently and is working in a responsible manner.
I have a couple of questions for Mr. Coutu. He mentioned one word. He said that the oil sands industry is economically vital, not only for Alberta but for Canada as well. First, I would like you, Mr. Coutu, to elaborate on that.
I'll ask another question after that. Basically, what I need from you is whether the industry's development has any impact on Canadian jobs or Alberta jobs. And how does it affect jobs directly or indirectly?