Mr. Speaker, with regard to the particular matter raised by my colleague, it would not be appropriate for a minister or parliamentary secretary to indicate an opinion on criminality. This is a matter for law enforcement and the courts to determine. However, it is important to acknowledge the member's concerns.
Canada's new government takes financial crimes seriously. This is why our government has introduced the first-ever national anti-fraud strategy through budget 2025. We have committed more resources to the RCMP, to a new Canadian financial crimes agency and to stronger FINTRAC authorities in order to better prevent and respond to financial wrongdoing accusations. The new financial crimes agency will bring together the required expertise to investigate crimes such as money laundering, online fraud and financial scams, and recover criminals' illicit proceeds.
For some prior context on the matter at hand, the government announced a contribution through the strategic innovation fund with Lion Electric in March 2021, of which $31 million has been disbursed according to the public accounts of Canada audit. This loan was paid out as a partially repayable contribution to Lion Electric, which the government continues to monitor as Justice Canada and the court-appointed trustees evaluate the next steps.
In this new global era, we know that unjustified U.S. tariffs have impacted our industries. These we cannot control but we can control our responses. We can work with the industries to strengthen the Canadian economy. The company has unfortunately faced a number of financial challenges, which resulted in the company seeking creditor protection in late 2024 and ultimately being sold to a group of Quebec-based investors in 2025.
As we continue to modernize our response to the changing global landscape and work closely with our cross-government partners, we will continue to ensure that Canadian taxpayers get responsible governance and responsible use of taxpayers' dollars, to create a stronger, more resilient Canadian economy.
It is absolutely vital, in this time of global uncertainty, that Canada remains focused on economic development, protecting and creating jobs, and attracting talent, both home and abroad, as well as investments.