Thank you very much, Minister. I look forward to hearing your answers to our questions.
As you in part said, municipalities own most of the public infrastructure in Canada—at least 60% of it. However, the criteria announced for project submission—I am talking about the Building Canada Fund and not the New Building Canada Plan—do not specify how the money will be spent, how the projects will be assessed, or whether priority will be given to municipalities or other groups.
Other groups, such as universities and non-profit organizations, now have an opportunity to obtain funds. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the caucus of mayors of major Canadian cities have often asked that a portion of that $14 billion be set aside for the Building Canada Fund. They are still waiting for a concrete answer. Will they obtain a concrete response today and find out what percentage of the Building Canada Fund will be earmarked for municipalities?