Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I'm very pleased to be here to provide an update on the significant progress that the government has made in stimulating local economies, creating jobs, and helping support Canadian families.
Through our economic action plan, this government has made unprecedented investments in infrastructure from coast to coast to coast. Over the last few weeks we've made investments right across the country, from highway rehabilitation and public transit improvements in British Columbia to road and bridge reconstruction in Nova Scotia. Our government continues to work productively with the provinces, territories, and municipalities to get stimulus moneys to work as fast as possible.
Just 44 days into the 2009-10 fiscal year, our actions have already had a serious impact. In Ontario alone we have received 2,746 project proposals worth in excess of $6 billion from 425 municipalities province-wide. These municipalities are ready to work, and we are proud to partner with them to get these projects under way. My colleague the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development recently announced $2 billion for low-cost loans to municipalities for infrastructure-related projects. This will allow projects to get started faster and to have a greater effect on communities.
One of the most notable aspects of our government's economic action plan is the support that it's received across political lines. When we took our five-point infrastructure plan to the first ministers conference, it was unanimously endorsed by New Democratic, Liberal, and Conservative premiers. Since that time we've been working closely with Premiers Campbell, McGuinty, Doer, and Charest, just to name a few. Each has put aside partisanship to focus on helping Canada's economy recover from the most serious global recessions we've seen in generations. I should note too that the stimulus funding contained in budget 2009 as well as the important changes we've made to the Navigable Waters Protection Act received the support of Mr. Ignatieff and the Liberal Party, and they should be commended for that.
In the recent past, governments of different political stripes, Conservative and Liberal, have had trouble getting infrastructure money moving quickly. I think of programs like MRIF and CSIF, which under the previous government took two or three years or more to set up. I can also say frankly that this government is not satisfied with the layers of bureaucracy and agreements that have tied up infrastructure money under our lead either. So we've made a concerted effort to cut through red tape and speed up federal approvals, and I'm proud to report that we've made real and substantial progress. This work has been difficult, but it's essential if we're going to succeed in delivering the economic shot in the arm we need to deliver to the Canadian economy.
Like you, I'm eager to see the benefits that this funding will bring, but I know the results won't be apparent within the first month or two of the fiscal year. I was very pleased to see the comments of the leader of the Liberal Party, Michael Ignatieff. To his credit, he reached much the same conclusion when he said at the Liberal press conference at the Liberal convention that it doesn't make much sense to say we passed a budget in April, and it's the first of May; we have to deal with it for a little bit of time to see whether the measures we supported have in fact worked.
We will be reporting on our progress to Parliament in June. But a big part of the success of our approach will involve matching and multiplying money invested by our partners in other levels of government. By working with provinces, territories, and municipalities, we are able to invest three times more, go three times farther, three times faster. The huge response from municipalities, for example in the province of Ontario, shows that local governments are ready and able to act, and with the strong commitment of my premier, Dalton McGuinty, we will get the job done.
In addition, and as part of our balanced approach to stimulus, our government doubled the gas tax fund as of April 1 from $1 billion to $2 billion per year. We also moved the first payment up by three months so that the municipalities can put that money to work quickly. This is money that goes directly into the bank accounts of municipalities in every corner of the country.
Let me be clear. Discussions continue and agreements are being signed, ready-to-go projects are being identified, and applications are being processed. This action is ten times faster than anything in recent history. We are moving as aggressively and as quickly as possible. Officials in my department are working around the clock to speed up the process. Projects like the ones in British Columbia and Nova Scotia will make our nation and our communities safer, stronger, and healthier for decades to come. We need to act now in order to protect Canadians and generate the economic stimulus we need to see us through this recession.
By taking these measures outlined in our economic action plan, we can ensure that we will emerge from this recession faster than other countries and stronger than ever. With your help, we can continue this work.
I'd be pleased to take any questions, particularly from my friend the member for Willowdale.
