Government Operations Committee on Dec. 1st, 2011

[Yaprak Baltacioglu]

We're in the process of making those capital improvements right now. If you're asking about the future, this is something that's being looked at. This is all I can say.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, John McCallum]

Merci.

Now it's the turn of Ron Cannan.

[Ron Cannan, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and my thanks to our witnesses.

I want to follow up on Jacques Gourde's question on the infrastructure stimulus program. He asked for the total number of projects. Do you have the ISF projects, the number that were completed?

[John Forster]

You mean the ones that were completed?

[Ron Cannan, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

I was asking about the ones that were funded.

[John Forster]

There were 4,188 projects approved for funding under the $4-billion fund.

[Ron Cannan, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

How many of those needed an extension? The extension was granted until October 31, 2011. How many of those were extended?

[John Forster]

We have two big programs that were extended: the stimulus, and the top-up to the communities component of the Building Canada fund. Combined, those two funds, which were $4.5 billion, approved 4,727 projects. About a third of those combined, 1,600 projects, needed extensions to the end of October to be completed.

[Ron Cannan, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Within the supplementary estimates (B), you had re-profiled some of the money for the infrastructure stimulus fund. Why was that necessary?

[John Forster]

When the funding was first approved, it was for a two-year period. Then the government agreed and the Prime Minister announced last December that they would provide municipalities and provinces with an extra construction season for those who needed it. So the money that we're transferring from last year, which is about $954 million of our request in the supplementaries, is money transferred from last year into this year to allow for the extension of those projects.

[Ron Cannan, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

That's excellent. I know that my communities in the Kelowna—Lake Country, in the Okanagan, benefited, as did communities across Canada.

I spent nine years on city council, and one of the things we fought for was long-term, predictable, stable funding for the gas tax. I'll give credit to Mr. McCallum. I was at the provincial association. Jack Layton was FCM president, and I served with him as a local government representative when we fought for that funding. I met with some FCM representatives yesterday, and I know they were excited to hear Minister Lebel's announcement about going beyond 2014 with the Building Canada fund. Maybe you could expand a bit more on the plans for that announcement from yesterday.

[John Forster]

As announced in budget 2011, even though there are two and a half years left in the Building Canada plan, the government wanted to begin discussions now with the provinces, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, and other stakeholders on a long-term infrastructure plan that would come after the expiry of Building Canada. This week, Minister Lebel, with the FCM, announced a process to have consultations on that long-term plan for infrastructure for the country.

We'll be going through three phases of that work: identifying and analyzing what we've accomplished with the billions that have been recently invested, a second phase of where our priorities should be, and then a third phase about principles for a new plan to take effect after Building Canada.

[Ron Cannan, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

That's very exciting, and I look forward to working with our provincial and municipal partners as we continue to move forward with building strong, stable communities across the country.

You were talking about bridges. The Champlain Bridge is very important. Another important bridge is the Detroit River international crossing project. I met with some fellows at dinner on Wednesday, and Monday I met with the U.S. ambassador, who mentioned that Detroit's government had indicated that the project is definitely going to go ahead.

Maybe you could share the department's actions on this file. What does it hold for us in the future? I know it's important for our trade. We have a couple of trade committee members here. It's one of the busiest crossings in Canada.

[Yaprak Baltacioglu]

It definitely is the busiest crossing. The volume that bridge carries is a major issue for Canada. The government has been focused on this one. Many governments have been focused on this for many years. I believe this is one issue that unites everybody in Parliament. There has been a lot of investment on the Canadian side. Working with the Province of Ontario, money has been earmarked from both governments for the highway extension leading to the new bridge.

We have extended quite a lot of assistance to the Michigan government. Our ministers have met with Governor Snyder. While we are disappointed that the legislature hasn't finalized a vote, the governor is definitely focused on proceeding with this bridge. I believe that both federal and provincial governments are doing everything possible to make sure that this project goes ahead.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, John McCallum]

Thank you very much.

Now it is my turn, in my regular spot, and the clerk will make sure that I don't exceed five minutes.

My concern has to do with the $145 million transferred out of the green infrastructure fund. I guess my concern is a matter of timing. It's very clear in the Financial Administration Act that all expenditures require parliamentary approval, and my impression is that these did not get parliamentary approval, and that Parliament was not even informed until after the fact. So I guess one way to ask the question is, at what point was the $145 million transferred, approximately what date? And what was the first date when parliamentarians were informed of this transfer?

[Yaprak Baltacioglu]

I think it's going to be really important to differentiate the government's decision to allocate money—re-allocate money—versus when the moneys would be approved by Parliament.

Sue or John, if you want to cover.... Because there's more to come in future years.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, John McCallum]

It's a simple question. There was a transfer of $145 million. When was that $145 million transferred? When was that decision made? When were parliamentarians informed? So I really just need two dates.

[John Forster]

There were two decisions by Treasury Board—approved by Treasury Board—to transfer money out of the green infrastructure fund, June 17 and September 30.

The first approval of June 17—

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, John McCallum]

[Inaudible--Editor]

[John Forster]

Oh, sorry--2010, Mr. Chair.

In November 2010, Parliament approved the first of those transfers, $25 million out of the green infrastructure fund to Natural Resources Canada for their forest industry transformation program, $25 million of about $100 million.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, John McCallum]

What happened to the $145 million remaining?

[John Forster]

It's not all gone through Parliament yet. You, for example, in supplementary estimates (B) tabled this fall, included a transfer of $4.5 million out of about $22 million to Aboriginal and Northern Development Canada for environmental assessment work.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, John McCallum]

But the decision by government....

[John Forster]

The government has taken a policy decision. The transfers will occur to Parliament in the main estimates or in supplementary estimates. In the main estimates, as Yaprak mentioned, there were transfers for this fiscal year approved in June. So there were re-profilings of the fund and some transfers out, the money needed for this fiscal year.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, John McCallum]

So let me just clarify. The Treasury Board decisions in June and September of 2010 approved the transfers of the $170 million.