Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Minister, earlier, when you listed the amounts allocated to the various provinces, you did not talk about Quebec. I am going to read you an extract from a press release issued by the Union des municipalities du Québec last Friday, entitled: “ Investment in infrastructure—the UMQ condemns the snail's pace at which negotiations between the federal government and Quebec are progressing “:
Although the municipalities have more than $4 billion in projects ready to kick off to stimulate the economy, they still do not have access to the announced funding as promised by the federal government back in 2007. UMQ members are extremely concerned, because, in the meantime, the employment rate continues to rise.
The President of the UMQ added the following:
The majority of mayors have said that they have literally had their foot on the shovel for the past two years. They are waiting for the agreement to be signed at any moment while the economic situation demands immediate action. Over the next few days, mayors from across Quebec are mobilizing to ensure that all provincial and federal elected representatives are aware that the money announced must be spent within the next twenty-four months.
What are we going to tell the mayors? What will the federal MPs tell the mayors about the delay in getting these agreements signed?