Thank you.
My thanks to the witnesses for coming today. I know there are lots of things you could be doing in your department, so I appreciate your taking the time.
You will know that this Enabling Accessibility Fund has been somewhat controversial. I congratulate our chair for bringing this to the committee today. I've asked questions in the House, and to say that answers have been lacking would be an understatement. Last year, when the fund was announced, there were a number of articles. One called this program “tailor-made to send cash to Flaherty's riding.” Another said that “critics allege” the program was “geared to Flaherty's riding” and that the finance minister's wife and aide stood to “benefit from $45 million in funding”. A number of people in the disability community are concerned about what has gone on here. What set the two major projects that were funded apart from the ones that were not funded?