Transport Committee on April 23rd, 2015

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Halton, ON]

They have looked at their priorities and their projects for this year and they have determined that this is the amount of money they need.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Minister, you run the department—

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Halton, ON]

I do.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

—so was there a cut in your budgets? Please just answer the question. It's right here in black and white.

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Halton, ON]

I understand what you're saying, Mr. McGuinty, but the reality is that they set what the projects and the priorities are for the department, and they indicate—

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

I'm sure they do, and they do a good job of it. So was there a cut in terms of the funding?

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Halton, ON]

They indicate how much money they need. They have indicated—

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

So they indicated they needed—

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Halton, ON]

—that they didn't need as much as they had in previous years. But they—

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Okay. So they indicated that they needed 11% less.

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Halton, ON]

Mr. Chair, can I finish answering the question?

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Yes.

Mr. McGuinty, last time you crossed the line, and I let you get away with it. If you want her to answer the question, please let her answer the question.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

I'd be delighted. I've asked it six times in a row.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

I think I've heard the answer.

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Halton, ON]

The proposal for 2015 and 2016 is the amount they've put forward. If they find through the year that they need to ask for more money, they always have the ability to do that through supplementary estimates—

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Okay.

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Halton, ON]

—and we have done so in the past.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Right. So there has been a cut. Thank you, Minister. I appreciate that.

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Halton, ON]

I did not say there was any such thing, Mr. McGuinty. They are operating on the resource level they asked for. It's what they wanted.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

So what is the budget for this year, Minister?

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Halton, ON]

I don't have that number in front of me, Mr. McGuinty, because I'm here to talk about our safe and accountable rail act.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

So am I.

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Halton, ON]

I can help in terms of preparing....

You can tell me what it is, because obviously you have it in front of you.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

You don't have the budget numbers as Minister of the Department of Transport in front of you today?

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Halton, ON]

I did not come with the budget numbers—