The point of the program is to encourage, well, to encourage a number of things. This is meant to be a program that brings folks into the community who can fulfill our labour shortage needs, who can bring direct investment into the economy, who can come and help add dimension to the local business community. However, if, in fact, there have only been three occasions in the last 10 or so years where it got to the point where they were unable to meet that commitment by way of having their deposit forfeited, Mr. Speaker, really that is a pretty good track record, overall. Really, the reason it's being eliminated is: that brings us in line, at long last, with every other jurisdiction in Canada so that, if we are going to be competing for people to come and to invest and to become residents and to contribute to local economy, it makes sense that we not be out of step with what is happening elsewhere in Canada.

That said, Mr. Speaker, the department takes it seriously that, first of all, there needs to be a visit that is done to the jurisdiction to ensure that anyone coming in knows where they are coming and is prepared to make that commitment and to move here. Then, secondly, once they are here, it's, I believe, roughly a two-year process before which they would actually be invited to participate or invited in to go through the rest of the immigration stream.

It's not an uncumbersome process for these businesspeople. It really gives them an opportunity to be supported through that process by the department, to get their legs under them as far as a business goes. At that point, hopefully they are, as most have been, able to successfully set up their businesses and go forward. That is not to say that there cannot always be tweaks and improvements to a program or a system, as with so many other things that are done. However, really, this is an opportunity to bring people in and to bring businesses in. We are now bringing ourselves to be competitive with the rest of Canada when we are doing that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.