Government Operations Committee on Oct. 29th, 2009

[Jean Dorion, Bloc, Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC]

The third progress report specifies that the government expects the economic action plan to generate or maintain 220,000 jobs.

Could you tell us the number of jobs created to date in the wake of the economic action plan?

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

I was talking about the infrastructure stimulus fund. If you want to talk about the credit facilities, if you want to talk about the auto strategy, if you want to talk about the community adjustment fund and the investments in forestry, the best number I can accept is the one from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. For every $1 billion we've spent on infrastructure, 11,000 jobs are created. That is the best number for us to fall back on.

[Jean Dorion, Bloc, Longueuil—Pierre-Boucher, QC]

Do you mean 11,000 jobs out of 220,000?

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

The 220,000 is for the entire economic action plan, of which, for example, the infrastructure stimulus fund is one. There are credit facilities. There are tax reductions. There is the auto strategy. There are efforts with respect to forestry. There are efforts with respect to the community adjustment program. There are many. There is a mortgage program. The government bought mortgages to provide more liquidity for small businesses and families. It is not exclusively infrastructure. Some people equate the economic action plan with just infrastructure. In fact, it is much broader. It's one of the things under the umbrella.

We've also tried Building Canada. It took a long time to get the agreement signed with every province. It took a lot of time to make decisions. We've had a major acceleration in Building Canada. Things are happening in a big way now, and accelerating is part of the action plan. We've told Quebec that we are happy to move as quickly as possible on the seven-year action plan to get projects approved so that engineers and architects can get to work and tenders can be issued, and we can sustain economic growth.

I think there has been a problem over the last 20 years, by our government, frankly, earlier, and by previous governments, to get things going. That's why we've really put our foot on the gas pedal with respect to infrastructure.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Merci.

We now go to Mr. Anders. I guess you will be sharing your time with Mr. Brown.

[Rob Anders, Conservative, Calgary West, AB]

Thank you, Madam Chair. We'll see how much time I take here, but there are a few things I'd like to get on the record.

One, I'm very excited about Mr. Martin being as big a fan of Wal-Mart as he is. I, like the minister, am quite impressed. Many in his party should come to embrace Wal-Mart the way he has.

I'm also impressed with the opposition generally today. I think the more time they focus on the economy, that's wonderful. The economy should be the central issue in the next election campaign, and if the Canadian public focuses on the economy as much as the opposition has, the Conservative Party will be elected with a larger number of seats. So I think that's fantastic.

I'd like to ask the two ministers two particular questions.

One, Minister Merrifield, I know that Alberta does not have many opposition MPs. If memory serves me correctly, I think we have only one. But if you have any information with regard to how the opposition MPs—or MP—in the province in Alberta have felt they've been treated, it would be lovely if you could tell us. I'm sure they must have some thoughts with regard to how they're being treated in the province of Alberta—that one NDP member in the opposition.

For our other minister today, I'm going to ask the question, and I'm sure he'll be caught up with regard to what's happening.

As far as another opposition riding is concerned, I know that at our last committee meeting I talked about the LRT program that's going on in the city of Toronto. Our chair, who's also a member of the opposition, expressed surprise. She didn't know, for example, that there is $333 million--and I'll add $330,000 on top of that--being spent for the LRT extension.

If I can quote, I said, “I don't hear the chair or the opposition members taking issue with $333 million being spent in her riding in Don Valley East.”

The chair's response was, “There's $333 million?” Then I said, “For the LRT expansion.” And she said, “In my riding?”

So I wonder if maybe--

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

We're obviously not communicating and advertising enough. We have to do a better job.

[Rob Anders, Conservative, Calgary West, AB]

I understand, Minister.

I'd like the two ministers to talk about how they feel about those particular ridings, the one for the chair here in opposition, and also for the one opposition member in Alberta.

[Rob Merrifield, Conservative, Yellowhead, AB]

I think what we have to understand is that we're actually trying to build infrastructure for all Canadians. It's difficult when you get into some of these larger urban settings as to whether an LRT infrastructure project or a ring road project is specific to the riding it's actually in or a benefit to a whole entire area. We're seeing that, actually, in many of the urban settings. Unfortunately, some of the opposition parties try to play silly with the numbers, because it's a benefit to everyone; it's a benefit to Canadians. Even some of the rural major highways or major highway corridors help perhaps even the neighbouring province as much as the province they're in, because they are through routes for a lot of goods.

I say that because that's kind of the case in the riding you're suggesting, which is the only opposition riding, Edmonton--Strathcona. There's $14.8 million there, going to the GO Community Centre. It's a disproportionate amount of money in that riding, compared to the neighbouring ridings around it. That's because it is part of a project at the university.

So it's silly to get into the numbers as to whether this riding has a little bit more than that riding, because what we're really focused on is what is in the best interest of infrastructure long term, giving us the competitive edge coming out of this recession and far into the future. To do that, you have to put politics aside and start looking at what is in the best interest. The provinces have done that; so have municipalities and so have mayors of cities. We're just very pleased to be able to come alongside, to be able to help out, to stimulate the economy at a time when jobs need to be created and good projects are being created. I guess that's the best way I can answer that.

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Just to respond about the LRT in Scarborough and Don Valley East, the City of Toronto has a master transit plan. We work with them. The mayor has identified the LRT as the number one priority for the Building Canada plan. We accepted his suggestion. I suppose people in south Scarborough will complain that they don't get enough in comparison to north Scarborough, but that's where the city chose to build the LRT.

I look at one investment. There is one with respect to Union Station. The federal government is putting about $120 million into the revitalization and expansion of Union Station. That just happens to be one block inside the riding of Trinity—Spadina, but that investment will be great news for people in Etobicoke. It will be great news for commuters from Oakville and from York region. It will be great news for people in north Toronto and for downtown. It's a resource. It's probably the most important building in the province, and it will have great benefit for so many people.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Please wrap up, Minister.

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

It's not just one riding that benefits.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

You have members of your caucus wanting to ask you questions.

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

You have to go to the other party because they want to ask....

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

And then we'll come to them.

Madam Foote, I understand you are sharing your time with Ms. Findlay.

[Judy Foote, Liberal, Random—Burin—St. George's, NL]

I meant to mention to Minister Merrifield that I was really pleased to hear about the $407 million spent on VIA Rail, when we have so many problems going on with Marine Atlantic. The ten percenter didn't leave a good impression on the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, since we have no trains. Money for Marine Atlantic is what we're looking for.

[Rob Merrifield, Conservative, Yellowhead, AB]

Marine Atlantic is a very important corridor.

[Judy Foote, Liberal, Random—Burin—St. George's, NL]

There was no question.

[John Baird, Conservative, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

I'd like the comment to get a response.

[Judy Foote, Liberal, Random—Burin—St. George's, NL]

There was no question.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Please address the chair.

[Rob Merrifield, Conservative, Yellowhead, AB]

I'd like to respond to the comment on Marine Atlantic, because Marine Atlantic is absolutely critical to the people of Atlantic Canada and particularly Newfoundland. We have a long-range plan to deal with that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Yasmin Ratansi]

Madam Findlay.

[Martha Hall Findlay, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

That wasn't a question; it was just a moment of frustration on the part of my colleague, which I think was well placed.

First, I want to thank you for agreeing to stay an extra half hour. I would like to thank the minister for his magnanimity in allowing his departmental officials to grant us an entire half hour more. It is much appreciated.

My question is for Madam Baltacioglu. You've seen the reporting being done in the United States under the stimulus package. The projects are listed, spending is quantified, and the number of jobs created is disclosed. Is that information in the Canadian government? Do we have that information? If not, why not?

[Yaprak Baltacioglu, Deputy Minister, Infrastructure Canada]

We have a website and the information, which I'm sure all members have seen. As my colleague John Forster said, we have the basic project information and we get reports from our partners. These are partnerships, and our partners are reporting on actual projects. It is not exactly the same kind of information.