Thank you, Madam Chair.
In its 2018 fall report “Connectivity in Rural and Remote Areas”, the Office of the Auditor General concluded that the federal government had not developed a national strategy to provide broadband Internet access to rural and remote areas owing to a lack of funding. Then came the 2020-21 estimates. My questions are straightforward.
How much more government investment is required for all Canadians to connect to broadband Internet? Do the recently announced measures close the gap completely? Why hasn't the government established a coordinated national strategy, as recommended by the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology and the Office of the Auditor General, rather than creating a number of separate programs and strategies?