Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Pineau, I found your remarks very enlightening, especially since my colleague Mr. Chahal just told us that the program's objective was to help the oil companies. I find that intriguing. I think that we're making progress.
In your presentation, you said that the program may have existed because oil prices fell during the pandemic and that now, with oil prices rising and companies becoming profitable again, the program may no longer be needed.
I'm wondering about the government's motivations. Why did the government set up the emissions reduction fund? I don't think that it was to reduce emissions from the oil and gas sector, but rather to provide financial support. I gather from your explanation and Mr. Chahal's that the goal was to provide financial support to the oil and gas sector during the crisis, not to reduce GHG emissions.
As a result, I want to address an issue that worries me a great deal. Isn't there a new way of doing things now, in which emissions reduction is being used as an excuse to financially support the oil industry? This was done to some extent with hydrogen.
I'd like to hear your thoughts on this, Mr. Pineau.
I also want to hear from Ms. Levin afterwards.