We asked that projects be shovel-ready. For instance, we concluded an initial agreement with Danny Williams in Newfoundland and Labrador and all of the money has been spent. The process was protracted in Quebec and in a few other regions, but all of the municipalities that applied for funding told us, when they submitted their request, that they were ready to go. I took their word for it. That way, my department and the municipalities could avoid any bureaucratic delays. They told us that they were good to go and could complete their projects within the planned timeframes and I took their word for it.
On March 18th, 2010. See this statement in context.