Thank you, Madam Chair.
I thank Ms. Baltacioglu and Mr. Forster for being here. I'm seeing some kind of a discrepancy. You're suggesting that Infrastructure Canada pays claims within 30 days. I'm looking at the schematic, which again says that final claims are paid within 30 days.
I want to ask you about a situation I'm aware of through the National Trails Coalition. I'm sure you're familiar with that program. Funding was approved in the vicinity of $270,000 for bridge and culvert replacements, I think. The funding was to be given in instalments: 50%, then 20%, 20%, and 10%. This particular project is now completed, but they're being told the 10% is being held back until May of 2010. There was nothing in the application process to indicate they would have to wait until that timeframe for that 10% to be paid out. They assumed that once their project was completed and when their invoices were submitted, they would be paid back. Now they're being told they have to wait until the entire country's projects are audited, so seven months from now.
That amounts to about $16,000 for small contractors, which is a lot of money when you're talking rural Canada. Why is that 10% being held back until all these projects are completed?