Finance committee  I'll be very quick. I support Greg's comments. I spent 12 years as a provincial deputy minister here in Manitoba. I can tell you that WD used to be the go-to place in all dealings with the federal government. They were empowered to be the window, the door, through which we could interact.

Finance committee  What I would like to say is that in Manitoba we have benefited significantly from the Alberta energy sector. We are experiencing significant impacts right now from the Alberta energy sector. This is a sector that has driven a lot of inward investment. It has driven investment in facilities in every other province.

Finance committee  I'll speak to the internal trade agreement. The provincial premiers have not kept pace with their own commitments for establishing and renewing the internal trade agreement across the country. The biggest impediment, from our perspective, on the internal trade agreement is all the....

Finance committee  The federal government should continue to put pressure on premiers to deliver, because it is in your interests nationally as well.

Finance committee  I have a couple of points, just to build on what my colleagues have said. In agriculture, when we are exporting internationally, we are price-takers. We don't set the price. We know the international price rises and fluctuates, so when input costs rise, we know who gets stuck in the middle—the producers these gentlemen represent.

Finance committee  Thank you very much. Good morning. The Business Council of Manitoba is very pleased to have this opportunity to participate in the pre-budget consultations. We represent the CEOs of more than 70 leading corporations headquartered in Manitoba. The council is non-partisan in our outlook.