Statistics Canada is very actively engaged internationally in defining all those standards, and defining them in ways that ensure the resulting statistical programs respond to the needs of Canadians.
The industrial classification we use in the survey of employment, payrolls, and hours, for example, is one that's negotiated between us, the Americans, and the Mexicans, to ensure it is well adapted to the structure of Canadian industry and therefore responsive to the needs of the data users.
The classification standard we use for commodities in international trade is also a product that we negotiate jointly with the United States and Mexico, to ensure that it responds effectively to the needs of Canadians.
We're one of the leading countries in the development of international standards and guidelines around consumer price indexes, and we have a very large investment, a five-year investment in improving the consumer price index because of the importance it has in monetary policy and in transfer payments, the management of income tax thresholds, the Canada pension plan, pensions, and so on.
In the case of the labour force, we're very engaged internationally in the definition of standards, guidelines, and methods. Our Australian colleagues are having some difficulty with their labour force survey. They asked us to give them some advice and some assistance in dealing with the issues they're currently struggling with as, in their view, we're the leading country in this area.
The other thing is that in any budget reduction exercise, we have protected all of them. We understand the importance. we understand the impact on Canadians of getting this right. Therefore we have protected these programs from any impact of any budget reductions Statistics Canada needs to make.