Natural Resources committee  Statistics Canada has a standing mandate to do that. They have the capability to do it. How it's accessed by the public is a different question, I think, and where the best portal is. You do have Statistics Canada and the NEB collecting different data, and it does mean that you have to search between them.

Natural Resources committee  I don't use U.S. data as much as Canadian data, but, yes, that does exist in the United States. Prior to the U.S. EIA's formation, there were a multitude of agencies at the federal level that collected data. That was one of the reasons the EIA was brought in. It was also brought in in response to the Iranian oil embargo and all that stuff to provide better clarity.

Natural Resources committee  Thank you. It's a good question. It's one thing to go through the process of saying you need to collect data and you need alignment, but you need the human capital to understand what the issues are around alignment, to look at a data set and recognize that there are gaps or that maybe it's not picking up what you intended to be picked up.

Natural Resources committee  I'll try to be really efficient. If there is a duplication of data series between provincial and federal governments, you have the potential for misalignment between those series. Think of 12 provinces generating series and the federal government generating their own. Which one becomes right if they're misaligned?

Natural Resources committee  That's systemic. Let me think about it. I think the reality is that information and making informed decisions is what drives the world, and we're seeing massive amounts of data being generated, so interpreting, understanding, and putting analytics around data for our clients is probably what that statement is regarding specifically.

Natural Resources committee  Thank you. Dear committee members, it's a pleasure and honour to be here today with you to discuss your important study into the state and future of Canadian energy data. My only apology is that I could not be there in person to join you. I work at IHS Markit, an international data analytics and insight company.