Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
We do not support this motion because it is not reasonable.
Programs, when they expire in a fiscal year on March 31, often have to go through cabinet processes, through a memorandum to cabinet to have a discussion among the government, among the ministry, whether or not to extend the program. I don't know with certainty, but I would imagine that this hasn't happened yet. That typically happens in the fall, during the budget cycle, as they plan for the next year's budget.
To have the minister appear in June 2007, so early in the cycle before they've had a chance to have discussions among their cabinet colleagues and among deputy ministers about whether or not and how the program might be extended, I don't think is reasonable. You'll get a lot of speculation and, frankly, a lot of non-information, because I don't think they've had those fulsome discussions yet at the cabinet level.
I suggest this would be much better discussed at committee as we go into the fall, maybe into.... Later on this year or early next year, I'm certain the government will have a very clear idea as to whether or not and how they're going to extend this program. But now, I think, it's premature. You'll simply get a lot of conjecture. You'll get a lot of non-answers and a lot of non-information. It's not because the minister is trying to hide anything; it's because, frankly, I don't think they've had a memorandum to cabinet, or that discussions between the minister and her deputy have taken place yet. It's pretty early in the cycle right now.
Typically, we have these discussions closer to the announcement of the budget, and not so early. So I'm not sure it's productive use of the committee's time.