Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Ferguson, it's really interesting to have you here, because of course I'm from Quebec, and there are issues regarding shale gas.
Of course we want to be respectful of jurisdictions. You are a provincial regulatory body, and natural resources are under provincial jurisdiction. Nevertheless, I think that the Government of Canada might have a role to play vis-à-vis the monitoring.
I'm going to ask you a few questions to understand how it works, because clearly, what we've been learning since day one and what we hear every time we're talking about shale gas and the regulatory body is that, frankly, B.C. is a model. I'd like to understand more.
First of all, I would like to know how your organization works. When we talk about shale gas, that involves drilling holes, of course, which can lead to certain situations regarding the public.
How is your organization dealing with concerns between individuals and the industry? Specifically, what is your role? You talked about protecting people and the environment, but when it comes to people, what is your role in protecting the public?