Senator Martin: Well, unfortunately for Canadians, this agency appears to be part of a well-established pattern under the Trudeau government of being very good at spending taxpayers’ dollars while producing few, if any, results. The failed Canada Infrastructure Bank is an obvious example.

Leader, could you let us know how much in taxpayer dollars the Financial Consumer Agency has paid out in long-term and short-term incentives or bonuses to its staff since 2019? Could you also tell us how much this agency has paid out in termination benefits and any other —

Hon. Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu: Senator Gold, to follow up on your response to Senator Patterson’s question yesterday, I don’t believe that your government is approaching its spending thoughtfully and prudently. Our national debt has nearly tripled in eight years. The recent revelations of General Eyre, Chief of the Defence Staff, clearly demonstrate that the Canadian Armed Forces are facing enormous challenges, ranging from an ammunition shortage to a lack of housing for troops. These challenges are amplified by your government’s recent request to cut the National Defence budget by $1 billion.

Given the situation, Senator Gold, how does your government justify such a budget cut — which would be very detrimental to the preparation, training and well-being of our Armed Forces — while claiming that national security and the well-being of our soldiers are priorities?