Thank you very much for the question.
Mr. Chairman, I would answer the question, but I cannot answer the political elements of it. I can explain what the department has done in terms of expediting the application process.
The infrastructure stimulus fund has been quite different from all of the other infrastructure programs we have run.
First of all, the application form has been reduced to one page. Only critical information was asked from the proponents. As well, the department has established a dedicated team that was focused on this program and this program alone, which really helped deliver the program at great speed. Also, we have automated our systems and application forms, which does cut a lot of time in terms of processing the applications.
Very importantly, there have been changes to the navigable waters legislation as well as changes to the Canadian environmental assessment exclusion list, which allowed us to move further and faster. In addition, however, we did put in levels of controls. Unlike other programs, we have put in areas where we have quarterly reports in terms of the status and the progress so that we can have a sense if things are slipping, and we can speak to our partners. The partnership element is not new, but it was a special, very active partnership that the department has put in place with the provinces and municipalities.
Those are just examples of how these programs ran. My colleagues, who have been in infrastructure for many years, say that the economic action programs have actually been delivered at a speed that has never been done before.