Hon. Larry W. Smith: My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate. Senator Gold, last week, the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development released his fourth report entitled Emissions Reduction Fund. The Onshore Program was designed to provide financial support to energy companies because of the drop in the price of oil during the pandemic.

The commissioner’s report stated the following:

Overall, Natural Resources Canada did not design the Onshore Program of the Emissions Reduction Fund to ensure credible and sustainable reductions of greenhouse gas emissions in the oil and gas sector or value for the money spent.

The Onshore Program was so ill-conceived and poorly executed that it is having the opposite of the intended effect. Senator Gold, can you please explain why your government allowed such a flawed program to be implemented?