Thank you, Mr. Chair.
The NTCF has been a great program. Certainly, $880 million have gone to our ports through that program.
I think it's really more about where there may be gaps. One of the challenges that have been identified to us is the ability for ports—particularly smaller ports that may not have as much revenue as other ports—to maintain critical infrastructure. Sometimes it's to invest in opportunities that are available, but other times it's just to ensure that the critical infrastructure continues to be there and continues to be available.
We also want to ensure that the NTCF continues to be funded properly. It was great to see an influx of funds in the federal budget last year. We hope to see that continue on an ongoing basis, because there is a tremendous demand for these investments. The program is currently slated, we understand, to sunset around 2028. Certainly we see this as a permanent, ongoing need, so we'd like to see the fund be extended.
Another opportunity would be to look a bit more at decarbonization and whether the channels for funding within that program are sufficient to meet the needs of what our ports and other partners in the port community are trying to do to improve efficiency and contribute to Canada's climate change goals.