Finance Committee on Nov. 19th, 2013

[Brad Woodside]

Can I say that?

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Because you represent all.... I have limited time and I do have a question.

[Brad Woodside]

I'm not being facetious. We're very appreciative. We're representing 2,000 municipalities, or some 90% of the population of Canada. Correct.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

That's 2,000 municipalities, and is your organization happy?

[Brad Woodside]

We're very happy. We're happy with the relationship and the fact that we're working together collectively to solve problems.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

In fact, I notice in the 2013 report card that 75% of the respondents said that the roads were fair, good, or very good as of today. I know there's a lot more work to be done, but 75% of the respondents said they were fair, good, or very good. Now, that goes much further than what you identified in 2005-06 when this government came to power. Is that not correct?

[Brad Woodside]

That's correct.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

All right.

As far as housing goes, you've identified that as a key component on your website as well.

[Brad Woodside]

Correct.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Is the federal government responding, or at least seeming like we're responding on a similar basis as we did in 2006?

[Brad Woodside]

We have no reason to believe that they won't.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Why can't my city and my constituents get more money than every other city in the country?

[Brad Woodside]

I'm not sure that's accurate, and I really don't know about every other city in the country. But I know that last year in my city the provincial government cut 75% of our unconditional grant. That's a huge hit—75%.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

In fact, it's fair to say too that infrastructure.... I know it's a Canadian issue, but truly you recognize that under the Constitution we can only be a funding partner to the provinces, because that is solely their jurisdiction.

[Brad Woodside]

That's what we're asking for. We're asking for a partnership among the federal, provincial, and municipal levels to address these.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

But it's the provincial government that has the final authority on what gets funded, how it gets funded, when it gets funded, when it gets built.

[Brad Woodside]

That's correct.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

All we can do is come to the table, listen, provide money as a partnership, provide obligations to that money to the provinces and municipalities, much like we did with the gas tax fund, which was another recommendation, I think, originally from James Moore when he was in opposition, and then the Federation of Canadian Municipalities came along and said, “Do that.”

[Brad Woodside]

I think we've done well, but there's still a long way to go.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Did you appreciate the indexing?

[Brad Woodside]

I certainly do. It's a huge figure over the 20-year period. It makes it actually worth something in real terms.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

I know on your website you also identified that before the Conservatives came to power in 2006 there were two decades of declining infrastructure investment by the federal government and all governments. You didn't know that was on your website, did you? It is there, I promise.

In fact, on page 63 in the report card, you've identified that almost 60% of the population is represented by those communities, the rural components of the communities, and that this federal government is actually paying attention to rural communities as well as big cities.

[Brad Woodside]

Correct.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Thank you, sir.