Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Welcome, and thank you for being here with us.
My first question is for the representatives of the FCM.
For several months now, we have been hearing a comment at these committee meetings that has now become infamous: people say that the municipalities have never received so much money from the federal government. That may be true, but are these increased federal funds accompanied by new responsibilities for the municipalities? Do these new responsibilities mean that the deficit remains the same? And has the situation gotten worse, considering the amounts you have at your disposal and the work to be done? Are we really experiencing just a momentary decrease?