Well, I said it a few minutes ago. I think flexibility is the word that should be used. You know that there is $15 billion already committed, that has been accepted in all municipal budgets. You were a city councillor before. When it's passed, it's very difficult, and it takes a lot of time.
For instance, if tomorrow I have an acknowledgement from the federal government and the provincial government that I have $2 million, and I have a project for $6 million, and I have to put in $2 million and borrow $2 million, it will take, as a city, at least three to six months before getting approval to borrow the money.
When you make a demand for money.... Well, in Quebec, and in other provinces it should be the same, you have to put in your request what you are going to do with it, what your plan is, and what the details of your project are. Then you will get approval from the Quebec government saying, okay, you have your money. Then you can start.
So if I put in the request now, February 12, and it takes between three and six months to approve that funding, I'm almost at August. Then I have to put out tenders, and that will take at least four to six weeks. Then I have the decision, maybe in October, and snow will start in November in this country. So it's very difficult for us right now to say okay, just....
The minister says that he has 1,000 projects on his table and says they acknowledge this. Well, I have to talk about my 1,720 members, which are small communities of 200 and cities like the City of Toronto, which is the biggest one. Right now we need flexibility to say to the ones that can't, the ones that have not had the one-third approved by their city councils because of the long process, yes, you're in accord right now; make your investment, and next year, by resolution of the city council, you can borrow the money and put it in.
I would be disappointed if the
municipalities in this country would not have access because they do not have the opportunity now, like the others. Some municipalities are richer. You were talking about the city of Mississauga. It's a little bit different from other cities. They have some money, from what I gather, and so on. But I don't want to take an individual example. Smaller municipalities have the right to access this federal funding, even if they don't have it this year.
So flexibility could be for next year.