Transport Committee on April 28th, 2009

[Colin Mayes, Conservative, Okanagan—Shuswap, BC]

Okay. Because there is kind of a misconception that when you're in the MRIF program, municipal rural infrastructure fund, you have to come up with the full one-third. But if the municipality capacity is only a smaller portion, then they can add some Building Canada fund money to that and make a significant project out of it.

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

Some provincial governments--and obviously municipalities are creatures of the province--are giving more. For example, in Toronto the Ontario government has done a lot in public transit, far beyond the one-third as is leur compétence, so they're certainly allowed to do that.

With respect to the Towns for Tomorrow program, which you did mention, the province is picking up additional funds. We're still doing a third, but the province is going further, as it's in their jurisdiction, which is fantastic. We're putting in $21 million, and I think they're putting in $42 million, so it's very flexible. We're certainly open to being creative, though we want to maintain some fundamental integrity to the program.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Thank you.

Mr. Kennedy.

[Gerard Kennedy, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Mr. Minister, can you tell me how many jobs you've created so far with the infrastructure stimulus fund?

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

We'll be reporting back to Parliament in June on that.

[Gerard Kennedy, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

How many is it as of today, though? You're here as the minister, and we've had a month of activity. Can you tell us approximately, to the best of your knowledge as a minister, how many jobs you've created?

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

Definitely in the thousands. We'll be reporting back to Parliament--

[Gerard Kennedy, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Thousands is a very vague number. Is there something more precise? People would be happy to have just your best knowledge on this.

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

Parliament would be happy to have it in June when they ask for it, and we'll certainly--

[Gerard Kennedy, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

This is Parliament, Mr. Minister. This is Parliament in committee. And you said that there would be dollars flowing. Your Minister of Finance said that there would be in fact a need to have the construction season utilized. I think it's a fair question. There are documents that could be tabled if you don't have them in front of you.

Can you tell us first of all roughly how many jobs through the infrastructure stimulus fund--the new authority the government sought and got to spend money--have been created? And can we get a list tabled with this committee?

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

If you want to talk about vote 35, as I said to your colleague, Mr. Volpe--

[Gerard Kennedy, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

I'm not talking about vote 35, Mr. Minister. I'm sorry if it's in any way unclear.

You have something you've called the infrastructure stimulus fund. It's valued at $2 billion this year and $2 billion next year. I'm asking you how many of those dollars you have gotten out. But more importantly, how many jobs have you created this fiscal year with that fund?

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

I'm going to mark you down as dissatisfied with my response.

We'll be reporting back to Parliament in June. We're working aggressively on project approvals, aggressively on getting cheques out--

[Gerard Kennedy, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

May I ask, Mr. Minister, is your reluctance built around the fact that you haven't created any jobs yet with that fund?

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

My reluctance is out of respect for what Parliament said, and they want us to report back in June.

If you want weekly reports--

[Gerard Kennedy, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

I think that's a deadline, Mr. Minister, and I think Parliament would be happy if you had information sooner.

If you don't have information, I think it's fair to say you have not yet created jobs and you might give us a time by which we could expect you to create jobs.

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

I don't accept your--

[Gerard Kennedy, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Well, there's only one way to disprove it, Mr. Minister. You're the minister. You have these dollars at your disposal, and you're telling us it's not your place to tell us ahead of some deadline that you've done anything with the dollars.

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

I'm saying we're working aggressively on project approvals. We're working aggressively on relationships with provinces. And we'll be reporting--

[Gerard Kennedy, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Okay. Has that aggression resulted in jobs? That's the only thing I--

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Mr. Jean, on a point of order.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

With respect, I would suggest that Mr. Kennedy is becoming quite aggressive with the minister and not allowing him to answer the questions--

[Gerard Kennedy, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

With the greatest of parliamentary respect--

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

I'm listening to the point of order.

Mr. Jean, on a point of order, please

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

I would suggest that the minister has come here at every opportunity that we have asked him. He has answered the questions directly, when he's had an opportunity to answer the questions. In this particular case he's not getting an opportunity to give full and final answer to Mr. Kennedy's question. I would suggest it would be the polite thing to let him have the opportunity to answer.