Thank you.
Mr. Balsillie, as the MP for Kitchener Centre—Canada's innovation capital—I consistently see how the current government is crushing our innovations' economic potential. Something you said really struck me today.
You appeared here at this committee in March 2023 and recommended building capacity for a knowledge-based, data-driven economy. Since then, almost three years later, not one policy has been created to meet the needs of a strategic orientation.
On top of that, your warning of $100 billion lost annually from unowned IP really hits home. It hits home because Kitchener start-ups are directly impacted by red tape, high taxes, no IP strategy and a lack of policy, which is preventing investment.
Where is this failure coming from? What can be done to fully unleash Kitchener's innovation engine and reverse the damage of this lost decade?