Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Members may recall, in some discussions that happened around Bill C-17, that there was talk about the nature of the money that's being allocated for both housing and transit. I think some of the thinking there initially was that this was to help cover transit operating funds, and that does seem to largely be the purpose.
I think there's still a bit of mystery surrounding how exactly housing is meant to be tied to that funding. While I certainly support the federal government's providing financial support both to transit operators and for the purpose of housing, I think, just as a matter of good accounting, that it's important for Canadians to have an understanding of how that money will be spent, understanding that it's subject to negotiation with the provinces.
The proposal in this amendment is simply that the minister, within three months of making a payment, would essentially report to Parliament on the terms and conditions of that funding with a given province or territory, so that there is a record of the understanding that was reached between the federal government and the other government that money is being transferred to. That way, people have a sense of how their money is being spent.
That's the spirit of the amendment, Mr. Chair.