Public Accounts Committee on Oct. 5th, 2023

[Simon Kennedy]

This is a financial pledge. There hasn't been a dollar spent yet.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

There hasn't been a dollar spent yet.

[Simon Kennedy]

No, this is a—

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

This is a press release from 2019. It says they're going to satisfy...they're going to connect all of rural Canada, with $600 million to Telesat, but there has not been a dollar spent yet.

[Simon Kennedy]

Telesat is still working on the launch of their LEO constellation.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

There has been no—

[Simon Kennedy]

There has been no disbursement of money through that pledge of $600 million, because that is an agreement to purchase time on a satellite constellation once it has been launched. The satellite constellation hasn't been launched; ergo, the money has not yet been spent.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

There's been no one connected—zero.

[Simon Kennedy]

Other than the current people connected in the earlier—

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Is there nobody connected from that report?

[Simon Kennedy]

No, because the satellite constellation has not unlocked yet.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Thank you.

Mr. Kennedy, the Auditor General reported that the Canada Infrastructure Bank has $2 billion available for large-scale connectivity projects. The Auditor General also noted the Infrastructure Bank relied largely on the assessments and approvals of your department.

How many connectivity projects that have received funding from the Canada Infrastructure Bank are fully complete?

[Simon Kennedy]

I don't know whether I have that information directly available or not. We'd be happy to come to the committee with a detailed accounting.

I will say that we work very closely with the CIB on major projects, and we often co-invest together to stretch our dollars. We have worked very closely with the Infrastructure Bank. I just don't have the details on me.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Could you table that report?

[Simon Kennedy]

Yes.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

How am I doing for time?

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

You have just over a minute.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Thank you.

Ms. Eatrides, how many projects under the CRTC's broadband fund have been delayed in any form—starting or completing?

[Vicky Eatrides]

So far we have committed funds for 205 projects in rural and remote communities. Once those projects have committed funding, then the companies build. Sometimes there are delays with projects, and there have been some, given the supply chain issues through COVID—we know that. We can come back with the exact number with an undertaking to give you these—

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Can you also report back on how many have been delayed from either starting or finishing, in that report? That would be great.

[Vicky Eatrides]

Yes, that would be doable.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Thank you.

Mr. Kennedy, how many projects under the government's universal broadband fund have been delayed?

[Simon Kennedy]

I would have to come back with the specifics. As I said before, we're actually confident that we're going to hit our targets, and we've already hit the first milestone in 2021. In aggregate, the delays have not resulted in a material setback to hitting the targets. There have been individual projects that certainly have been delayed. I'd have to come back with an accounting of that. I don't have that handy.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, John Williamson]

That is your time, I'm afraid, Mr. Mazier.

Ms. Bradford, you now have the floor for five minutes, please.