Honourable senators, my question is for the Government Representative.

Senator Gold, yesterday the Minister of Finance introduced a budget that would substantially transform our social infrastructure if these measures were to pass. Beyond child care, which I fully support, there are hundreds of millions of dollars set aside for Black Canadians. But one concern raised by many Black Canadians is that the federal public service, which will manage these funds and work with these communities to get them their money, has a very poor understanding of Black communities, of their needs and how to work with them.

This is supported by the soon-to-be-released survey led by our colleague Senator Colin Deacon, in which Black entrepreneurs say that they have little confidence in applying for funding through banks and other financial institutions with which they have had negative experiences; the very same institutions that are being tasked, in the past and now, to lead the distribution of funding.

Senator Gold, what is the government’s plan to shore up the capacity of the federal public service to make sure the money promised in this budget makes it to the individuals, businesses and non-profits that need it most?

Thank you. No supplementary question at this time.