Mr. Speaker, the Retail Council of Canada and its members have a proud tradition of serving Canadians. That is not just service at the cash register. It is service that retailers deliver through working with the Government of Canada to develop and implement new policies to the benefit all consumers.
The retail sector is Canada's largest employer, providing jobs for more than two million Canadians. It generates sales in excess of $300 billion per year. The sector directly contributed $74.2 billion to Canada's gross domestic product in 2009.
Retailers are also innovators. The sector invests billions of dollars annually in new machinery and equipment, information and communication technologies, and in new infrastructure and enhanced logistics, all with one goal in mind: to better serve Canadians.
I invite members to join me in welcoming representatives of the RCC and Canada's retailers who are in Ottawa today. Let us thank them for helping to build stronger and more prosperous communities across Canada.