Opening Statement before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts

National Trade Corridors Fund—Transport Canada

(Report 4—2024 Reports of the Auditor General of Canada)

23 May 2024

Andrew Hayes
Deputy Auditor General

Mr. Chair, thank you for this opportunity to discuss our report on the National Trade Corridors Fund, which was tabled in Parliament on 19 March 2024. I would like to acknowledge that this hearing is taking place on the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe people. Joining me today are David Normand, the principal who was responsible for the audit, and Susie Fortier, the director who led the audit team.

This audit examined the design and implementation of the National Trade Corridors Fund, which is intended to improve the movement of goods across the country by strengthening the network of roads, rails, airports, and seaports.

The fund was launched in 2017 with an initial budget of $1.9 billion. This budget was later expanded and currently stands at $4.6 billion. At the time of our audit, Transport Canada approved $3.8 billion to fund 181 transportation projects for completion by 2028.

Overall, we found that Transport Canada did a good job of designing and implementing the fund. The department gathered and used evidence on the status and performance of transportation corridors to identify bottlenecks and other fluidity constraints. This evidence-based approach supported the selection of projects that would address known gaps in the infrastructure.

However, because of weaknesses in Transport Canada’s monitoring of and reporting on performance, it was unclear whether projects were having the intended impact. Infrastructure programs like the National Trade Corridors Fund take years to produce results. The fact that the clock is running makes it all the more important to have a robust system to track performance so that Transport Canada can determine the extent to which the fund has contributed to improving the movement of goods.

Mr. Chair, this concludes my opening remarks. We would be pleased to answer any questions the Committee may have. Thank you.