Evidence of meeting #19 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was million.
A recording is available from Parliament.
8:45 a.m.
Conservative
John Baird Conservative Ottawa West—Nepean, ON
If the department feels they need more resources to deal with safety, I'm surely prepared to take it up with my cabinet colleagues, but I have not got that request at this stage.
8:45 a.m.
Liberal
Joe Volpe Liberal Eglinton—Lawrence, ON
If I can go back to your success in Lansing, I'm just wondering whether you think the $550 million offer that you laid on the table for the Michigan legislature had anything to do with your success.
8:45 a.m.
Conservative
John Baird Conservative Ottawa West—Nepean, ON
I think there's no doubt that the State of Michigan has some significant financial pressures. That was a significant issue for legislators. This has been done in the past, but the other way around, where the Americans supported the Blue Water Bridge in Sarnia.... I think there's no doubt that it assisted.
8:45 a.m.
Liberal
Joe Volpe Liberal Eglinton—Lawrence, ON
Did you ask the Auditor General whether that $550 million would pass her examination?
8:50 a.m.
Conservative
John Baird Conservative Ottawa West—Nepean, ON
Well, the Auditor General doesn't give pre-clearances. She's the auditor after the fact. She will not give a pre-clearance on any issue before government.
8:50 a.m.
Liberal
Joe Volpe Liberal Eglinton—Lawrence, ON
So did you ask the justice department whether it was a legitimate offer for you to make?
8:50 a.m.
Conservative
John Baird Conservative Ottawa West—Nepean, ON
We're comfortable with it. I should underline that it's up to $550 million. It's not a loan to the State of Michigan. It'll be part of the P3 project.
8:50 a.m.
Liberal
8:50 a.m.
Liberal
Joe Volpe Liberal Eglinton—Lawrence, ON
Bill 4961, which passed the legislature yesterday, has provisions in it for a P3 model that will operate independent of any oversight by the legislature or in fact the government on either the Michigan side or the Canadian side.
8:50 a.m.
Conservative
8:50 a.m.
Liberal
Joe Volpe Liberal Eglinton—Lawrence, ON
No. That's not how that is being read by others. I'm just wondering, when you asked Justice for the approval to make that offer...whether in fact you would be giving over access to $550 million without any proper oversight for the organization that would be actually managing that money.
8:50 a.m.
Conservative
John Baird Conservative Ottawa West—Nepean, ON
Of course, there has to be oversight. There must be oversight. Absolutely.
What we've done is we've made an offer of assistance in terms of how the financing is put together. We've got 11 kilometres in Ontario. We've got I think a little more than a kilometre to the I-75. It's quite a complex interchange. What we've done is we've said that we're prepared to work with MDOT on the financing of it and that money would be further recouped by taxpayers. It was out-of-the-box type of thinking. We want to see the project go forward. It has taken many years, and I think it's been pretty well received by labour, by the auto sector, by local elected officials--
8:50 a.m.
Liberal
Joe Volpe Liberal Eglinton—Lawrence, ON
Let's say it's not a unanimous view, because there are those who think this falls under the potential consideration of the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act. I don't know whether you'd like me to read some of the sections that it comes under, but have you looked at that at all?
8:50 a.m.
Liberal
8:50 a.m.
Bloc
Mario Laframboise Bloc Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Minister, I have two or three questions. The first is about infrastructure programs. There are a number of them. It is quite complex. I have a pretty good understanding of this area, but I still have questions about the perception that Quebeckers have right now.
I read the estimates for Infrastructure Canada. They indicate that the funds for the Communities Component of the Building Canada Fund for 2010-2011 have all been committed. All the funding in the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund has been committed, as has the money in the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund. Furthermore, I have a note from a government member in Quebec. I will not say his name, because I do not want to cause trouble between Quebec and Ottawa. In the note, he tells municipal officials that Quebec is waiting for an agreement with the federal government to be signed or ratified before announcing new investments. The Web site of Quebec's department of municipal affairs indicates that all applications must be submitted to the Quebec-Building Canada Fund. It seems as if there is a lot of money.
I know that you will not have time, but I would like some clarification on the situation, Mr. Minister.
8:50 a.m.
Conservative
John Baird Conservative Ottawa West—Nepean, ON
We are prepared to send you a copy of our agreement with Quebec for the Building Canada Fund. It is working rather well. I think that in the case of large municipalities, the majority of large-scale projects have already been announced. I believe that 83% of the projects, which is 18 projects, have already been announced, and that represents more than $1.2 billion. It has been signed; we can give you a copy of the agreement with Quebec.
Furthermore, in terms of the Building Canada Fund, an agreement has also been signed for small municipalities with less than 100,000 residents. We are also prepared to give you a copy of that agreement. In the budget, yesterday, further to Canada's economic action plan, there was an additional $500 million approximately. There is no provincial allocation, but I can say that Quebec is receiving its share, nearly 23% of the fund. We can give you a copy of that agreement, if you like.
8:55 a.m.
Bloc
8:55 a.m.
Bloc
Mario Laframboise Bloc Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
Perfect. Thank you.
My second question has to do with the estimates. They say that $50 million has been earmarked for support related to the G8 Summit. Has that money been spent, has it been committed? We have seen that security costs for the G8 Summit are high. Has any other money been allocated, apart from the $50 million in the estimates?
