Thank you very much, Chair.
I thank all the witnesses who are here with us today—Auditor General, Mr. Hamilton and your teams, and I wish everyone around the table a happy new year as well.
It was quite something to be back in my riding these last few weeks during the Christmas period, because it almost felt like normal. Stores were open. Restaurants were open. We were able to entertain. We were able to visit salons de coiffure and manicure places, boutiques and so on and so forth. I'm struck by the fact that you mention in your report, Auditor General, that the individuals from groups that were most impacted by the pandemic—low-income persons, women, visible minorities and youth—benefited from the programs to a much higher degree. We're talking about businesses here today. The businesses I've mentioned—the restaurants and the hairdressing establishments and boutiques and so on—largely would be owned and operated by exactly those vulnerable groups, and they were very pleased to be open again.
My concern back in March and April 2020 was that it would be difficult for these groups to access programs, and I was one of the people advocating for the minimal red tape, if you will. I know that's a favourite term with my Conservative colleagues—eliminate the red tape so those programs would be more accessible.
Auditor General, some prepayment verifications were applied, as is prudent for any program going out to businesses. Do you believe the government made the correct choice in the types of prepayment verifications that were made for the wage subsidy program, and do you think that these verifications helped overall compliance?