Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to the witnesses for being here.
“Sustainable Development Technology Canada”, or, “How to screw up a good idea and mismanage perfectly useful funds”. That's chapter 1 of the Liberal Party of Canada playbook.
How can we make sure that we're not throwing the baby out with the bathwater, when there are so many worthwhile projects and businesses that depend on this type of funding?
One good example is Calogy Solutions, which is waiting for its second $100,000 payment, due last March. That money hasn't turned up yet. The company has had to lay off four people, and clients aren't sure what's going to happen. The company has lost trust and its ability to compete. Calogy Solutions is suffering because, among other things, some members of the steering committee are greedy.
How will the National Research Council of Canada ensure that these companies receive their funding as quickly as possible?
We know that all projects are at the assessment stage, but can we get a clear timeline?
People need predictability. When they're expecting government funding, they expect that to be reliable, more reliable than what they might expect from some private sector parties. In this case, what they're expecting is public sector funding.
How can we ensure that businesses get the right message, that they'll be able to give their clients and their teams good information and be able to count on something more predictable?
Do you have a clear timeline for when these companies will get the money that's coming to them?