Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Probably the widest energy efficiency or energy innovations that everyone in the country would notice would be with regard to their cars. Most of us drive. It's a big thing as far as most people's lives go, usually starting in their late teens and going forward.
My first question is for Mr. Morin. From your industry's perspective, what is it that drives the fuel efficiency of the vehicles? One of the things I've often wondered is why governments are always so.... Even our government meddles way more than it needs to, I think. Why are governments so interested in doing fuel economy regulations when consumers can sit down and figure it out? Do they want to drive an F-350 Ford or do they want to get a much smaller putt-putt vehicle to get them to and from work?
From your perspective, why don't consumers pick the fuel-efficient vehicles on their own? Why is it that the government has to get in there, or why is the government getting in there to push consumers in certain directions?
Also, could you give us a brief summary of how fuel efficiency regulations work here in Canada?