Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thanks for being here today and for your comments.
In the same vein as the conversation that we've been having, on November 24 we did have a representative from the Office of the Auditor General here who had conducted an audit on the CNSC. She did express concerns that were outlined in her report about protocols, data management, and follow-ups for the CNSC site inspections and practices. She went on to say, similar to the comments you were making, that it's likely the industry and the workers are well ahead of the regulator on all of these fronts.
She said that like the Canadian energy, oil and gas, and mining sectors, safety is in their DNA. It was echoed again by a representative from Bruce Power on the same day, who said that when looking at the spectrum of energy development or responsible resource development in Canada broadly, we are blessed to have a three-legged stool here, with the first leg being the strong and successful oil and gas sector, the second leg being hydroelectricity, and the third leg being nuclear. He said it's important that all of these sectors are supported, promoted, and acknowledged as world-leading sectors, as well as the performance of workers in Canada, which is second to none on the planet. That seems to align with the comments that you were making.
Another witness said that in particular to nuclear, we punch above our weight as a country, and that Canada's regulatory regime in the post-Fukushima period was one of the first to step up, and it was internationally recognized.
I'd invite you to expand on your comments about whether you agree with the assessment that the nuclear industry and the workers, in their performance and their commitment in Canada, are dedicated to responsible development and to safe operations.
I wonder if you might comment personally, on behalf of the members you represent and you work with, on whether you find it insulting that organizations, sometimes foreign-funded organizations who protest against your way of life, your expertise, and the economic opportunities for the men, women, first nations, young workers, and older expert workers in the sector consistently, it seems to me, are making the argument that the construction and the operation of these facilities are guaranteed to result in failure and in catastrophic risks to your neighbours, to your fellow Canadians, and to the communities neighbouring these operations that provide so many economic benefits to their communities and sustainable energy for all Canadians.