Hello, chair and committee. I'm very happy to join you for the first time in my new capacity.
I might add that my new title has been changed very recently to director general of supply chains, so it just sort of emphasizes the importance of supply chains in our department and taking a very serious look at these issues.
Just to add to what Tom said, the way we think about these issues is that there are urgencies, as you're all well aware, but there's also looking at the issues more medium and long term. Some of the issues are very long term, protracted issues, including temporary foreign workers.
Just to add a couple of things, early on in the pandemic, there was a $330-million emergency food security fund, the $50-million surplus food rescue program, and then in budget 2021, some of these programs were topped up: $140 million to the emergency food security fund and the local food infrastructure fund as well as the $57-million fund for temporary foreign workers and the need to quarantine.
There have been very different responses all along the way during the pandemic, and now, as Tom mentioned, with the supply chain summit hosted by the transport minister recently, our minister participated very actively. There will be follow-up meetings as well to engage stakeholders on solutions more into the medium and long term.
Thank you.