Senator Martin: I have another question about lapsed spending. In November 2018, the Trudeau government supported a motion in the other place that called upon the government to automatically carry forward all annual lapsed spending at Veterans Affairs to the next fiscal year, until the department meets its own service standards.

Instead of fixing the problem, this government has made the situation worse. Over the first four years of this Liberal government, about $477 million went unspent at Veterans Affairs Canada. The funding that lapsed at Veterans Affairs last year alone far exceeds that amount.

Leader, why did the Prime Minister not live up to his 2015 election promise to end this practice? And why hasn’t your government respected the motion passed in 2018? Does the Prime Minister still believe that veterans are asking for more than his government is willing to give?

Senator Gold: Senator, thank you for your question. The government has delivered unprecedented support to help keep Canadian families and Canadian businesses solvent throughout the pandemic. It continues to implement a responsible fiscal plan to support the Canadian economy.

Last week, the government announced investments exceeding $7.5 million for nine initiatives in support of businesses in Parry Sound and the Muskoka region in Ontario. These projects are designed to create new jobs, enhance productivity and help businesses grow.

I might also add that the Economic and Fiscal Update shows that the size of the Canadian economy last year would be $2.48 trillion, almost exactly what was predicted in Budget 2018, and this was prior to grappling with the global pandemic.

With respect to detailed productivity measures and the monitoring efforts, I will seek an answer from the government and report back to the chamber.