Some time ago, during our tour, witnesses talked to us about the regulatory framework. I would like to take advantage of your being here to see what you have to say about it. We were told that a flexible, clear and timely regulatory framework was needed. We heard that that is not the case at the moment. The regulatory framework on biotechnology has been in place since 1993; perhaps it is time to go over it. I don't know, I am asking you. Would it be appropriate to review the framework at this point?
But a number of departments, including the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Health Canada and Environment Canada, are still dealing with biotechnology and have something to say about it. There are a number of acts—at least half a dozen—that also deal with biotechnology: the Health of Animals Act, the Plant Protection Act, the Seeds Act, the Fertilizers Act, the Feeds Act and the Food and Drugs Act. I might be forgetting some, but I think you are well positioned to tell us how complex things are because of this.
I'm not saying that we should not have regulations and laws, or that we should not comply with them. On the contrary, I completely agree with having them. But could you tell us, on the industry's behalf, whether you feel we should review the government's way of regulating biotechnology and whether we should see what could be done to make the regulatory framework more flexible, clear and timely, as one of our witnesses actually said?
Do you have any examples where you tried to move forward with some kind of biotechnology, but the regulatory framework put a damper on it? Are there aspects you would like to change and improve?