Thank you for the question, Mr. Ste-Marie.
I'd like to begin by talking to you about the fuel tax, which comes up often. We were told several times that this tax would be used more widely, for things like fire stations and city halls. But it should, at the very least, include dams.
Among the most serious impacts of climate change were the major floods that occurred here in 2017 and 2019, particularly in Quebec. There will be others; it's only a matter of time.
Preventive measures should be taken because some small municipalities don't have the resources to reinforce their dams, nor the right to use funds from the fuel tax program and Quebec's contribution to maintain these dams.
It's true of course that maintenance is needed for roads, municipal buildings and water distribution facilities, but why not provide measures that would allow us to deal with emergencies? It seems logical to me. We're not asking for additional funds. What we're asking for is flexibility in how we use these funds. Otherwise, it would be a matter of asking whether the management of these dams ought not to be a matter for the federal government or a different level of government.
Essentially, we should at least have access to these funds. We are making our culverts bigger, and doing various other sorts of work. We know that we need to be resilient. We are aware of the repercussions of climate change, but we also need to protect our neighbours, particularly those who live downstream from our region. The water flow needs to be managed to prevent the water level from rising too quickly.
There is a lot of investment in our infrastructures, but what's required is funding flexibility.