Yes, but it is not 76%. It is 100% that is paid by the taxpayers. The federal, provincial and municipal taxpayer is the same person. There is only one taxpayer, whether the money comes from Ottawa, from Montreal or anywhere else. These are taxes. People pay them.
You know, there is a rumour going around that here in Parliament we have a river of money that is available to everybody. I can assure you, that rumour is false. That money comes from the same place as the money that all the other governments have.
That is why, when you say the municipalities cannot raise funds locally, my answer is that the federal government receives that money from the same taxpayers. Do you think it would be different if we asked the public for more through their federal income taxes, as compared to local taxes?