Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I would like to echo the comments of my colleague to you, Mr. Cannings, and, indeed, to Senator Griffin. Thank you so much for this project, for this bill. Senator Griffin, let me also say, of course, you being from the Maritimes, it's great to see a fellow Maritimer. Thank you for all your work and service on behalf of Canadians, but specifically those in Prince Edward Island as well.
I'm supportive of this bill. I really echo, Mr. Cannings, what you had said around the prospect for mass timber and the ability that this piece of legislation, and indeed the concept, represents.
In Atlantic Canada, we are working.... I say “we”, but there is a company called the Mass Timber Company that is trying to actually echo and build some similar plants to those that exist in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec. We have the ability to use Atlantic Canadian wood products to help support the northeastern United States and, indeed, our own country.
I'm generally supportive of the bill. The few questions I have are around the use of “may allow the use of wood.” When I read the provision itself it seems as though, for those who might not be in the wood sector who are concerned about how we might be giving preferential access to wood products in the building, you were very intentional in the language by saying this is really about putting a lens on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions associated with procurement and may use wood products.
Was there an issue in the past of why wood products couldn't be used, or is it more about using that language just to promote the industry writ large?
I'll start with you, Mr. Cannings.