Thank you, all, for being here this morning, including the presenters before we broke for the vote.
My colleague Ms. Block represents a Saskatchewan riding, and I represent an Alberta riding. To say that transportation and access through ports like the Port of Vancouver are critical is an understatement.
I listened to all three of your presentations, and there was a lot of emphasis around the need for taxpayer-funded investing. Among the concerns I think I have—and certainly our party has—are that some of the actions that have been taken are detrimental to long-term private sector investment.
Mr. Xotta, we had the opportunity as a committee to travel to and tour the Port of Vancouver recently. We had the opportunity to see about $2 billion in investment, I think, currently under way in Vancouver port, both in grain and other private sector investment.
I was privately told by one of the very senior people with your authority—so I'd like to get the discussion on the record—that if Bill C-69, which I think you're probably familiar with, had been in place two years ago, none of those private sector dollars would be invested in the Port of Vancouver today. Could you comment on that, please?