Madam Chair, these are the sorts of tough choices governments face every day. How we answer them is a clear reflection of our values as a country and of the vision we share of what kind of future we want for our children and grandchildren.
Fortunately, we are not alone in having to answer them. We depend on Canadians. We meet with them, and we discuss these issues both here in Parliament, and of course, in communities across the country.
With respect to creating the conditions for Canada's long-term competitiveness and success, I have already indicated that this will require a healthy dose of listening, which our government is fully committed to doing. It will require all of us to take a broad view of what competitiveness means and to make an honest assessment of all the factors that contribute to it.
There are factors other than taxation, of course, that support competitiveness. One need only look at some of the most successful countries in the world, with the highest living standards, to see that they also have very high degrees of investments in their people.
Yes, we need to take a look at our tax rules. We are doing that. We are listening to Canadians and Canadian businesses to understand the impact of the complex changes that were made in the United States. Competitiveness, as I said, rests on so much more than taxes.
When taking into account all the other factors, such as our openness to international trade, our wealth of natural resources, our low energy costs, liveable cities, and community infrastructure, the bottom line is that Canada is poised for success. We need to build on that, and we need to—