I want to refer to the statement the hon. member made which insisted the corporation was able to do things that could not be done by private corporations. She did not say that exactly but the inference was there.
I do not believe that. Institutions such as the Royal Bank of Canada, the TD Bank, Scotiabank and other financial institutions in Canada including insurance companies are only too willing to expand business if we let them go. All of us are interested in export development. That is where the big development should take place.
Let us not forget that the Export Development Corporation does its business in two accounts: the corporate account and the Canada account. The corporate account has in it right now accumulated retained earnings for the year of well over a billion dollars.
What is this money for? How does this crown corporation, which is really owned by the government, account for its earnings? Should that not come back to the general treasury of the country? It is just lying there and there is nothing in the legislation that covers it.
I could go on for at least another 10 or 20 minutes looking at some of the provisions of the Export Development Corporation but I do want to give my hon. colleague the opportunity to speak as well.