I've just finished travelling in the most important cities in the Province of Quebec. The concern was exactly what you're expressing: that the cost of preparing for P3s is quite expensive. Therefore, they're trying to find a means for us to develop a mattress of sorts, where they could say, “Okay, for a project of such-and-such a nature, this is what we have to do, and we'll have to simplify, and at the end of the day we'll be able to benefit and profit from a government investing in our project.” We actually.... I'll go at it in French to make sure that I don't make any mistakes.
We are asking municipalities to consider one thing. It is not because they can get more money from the provincial or federal government that there is any justification for incurring the expenditure for a project that may not be good for their community.
However, if all municipalities want the same thing as their neighbours, their leaders will often think that, if hold out their hand, they will get money that will enable them to do something else.
We at the institute do not advocate that. We work with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. With Infrastructure Québec, we try to find a way to simplify operational models and to present municipalities with ways of proceeding that will save them money on costs in preparing their projects.
I hope that answers your question. That is how we currently work at the institute.