Finance committee  That's correct. When those programs were initially launched—and it seems like a long time ago—there was really not much clarity in terms of what was going on economically. It was fog of war. Many programs were stood up, including CEBA. Some of those programs experienced greater u

Finance committee  Mr. Chair, I will take a run at answering that question. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation was the government's administrator for the program that the honourable member is referring to. The Department of Finance did not have a direct role in the outsourcing that CMHC d

Finance committee  I'm not sure my answer is going to be satisfactory. The responsibility for administering that program was assigned to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Decisions with regard to how best to execute that program were delegated as a part of that overall assignment.

Finance committee  I will begin with an answer and I will invite my colleague, Evelyn, to come in because I may not be providing the full picture. Specifically, I'm going to just refer to the business credit availability program, EDC guarantee and BDC co-lending facility. Under those programs, aro

Finance committee  Exactly.

Finance committee  I can't comment on the CFIB's estimate of exit. What I can say is that, when this program was stood up, provisions against loan losses were anticipated. There of course is a significant forgiveness element, and as we stand today, the economy looks as though people in general are

Finance committee  The numbers that I have in front of me are that there have been 831,000 loans provided. I don't have the number of applicants. I can tell you that the approval rate is very high on that program, and I'd be happy to follow up with that information and provide it to the committee.

Finance committee  That's correct.

Finance committee  Approximately $43 billion has been paid out.

Finance committee  We do not have that specific information. What I can tell you more generally is that the insolvency rates in Canada are extremely low, and our understanding of debt service, ordinary debt service in financial institutions, is that arrears on loans are as low as they have been for

Finance committee  I'll take the first part. I believe it will be one of my colleagues who will need to take the second part. When it comes to the specific crosswalk that the honourable member is looking for between the two numbers he quoted, we will need to come back on that. I'm not familiar wit

Finance committee  What I have in front of me.... I don't have the growth in debt. I have the gross issuance. Is that of value to you informationally?

Finance committee  Okay.

Finance committee  I think Nick has said it. The government uses the bank as its fiscal agent, and as it puts together the debt management strategy, as it undertakes consultations with the market, it works with the bank on that aspect of the plan and questions around debt management.

Finance committee  I'd ask a question of clarification, if I might. Is it more on debt management or more on the matters that my colleague Mr. Leswick was surfacing around the fiscal plan?