In respect to the second-last point, this government supports a strong, dynamic and competitive nuclear industry. Actually that's one of the reasons we wanted to pass on the CANDU reactor to a strong private sector company.
We've been clear ever since we announced the sale that the liability is going to continue to be the responsibility of the government. It's common practice and you can't expect a new company to take over these contracts. They're contracts that were signed between AECL and the project proponents prior to the divestiture. So it's important to note that these contracts were the responsibility of the government. Whether we divested or didn't divest, the same cost would have been booked no matter if we had moved forward or we didn't. They do show one of the important reasons that we did move forward, that it shouldn't be the responsibility of taxpayers to pay for losses of what is essentially a commercial business going forward. These costs have been in the billings in the last few years, so future liabilities won't be the responsibility of taxpayers. The risk will now be borne by the new company.
As to SNC-Lavalin's intent, it made a significant investment. It is devoting a lot of time and attention. Clearly it sees potential here—and, in fact, we're encouraged that it's moving in the right direction. SNC is strong, and a strong private sector partner is what we need. I think there is a real potential still for CANDU technology. I'm pleased that the CANDU division of SNC already signed a contract with Argentina to refurbish a reactor.