I appreciate that, Minister, but something you said in your opening remarks just corroborates what I've been saying. With respect, you said in your opening remarks that infrastructure funds do not lapse, but during the election you and your party said that they do lapse. In fact, on page 14 of your party's platform during the last election you acknowledge that infrastructure funds do lapse.
You were quite critical of the previous government's allowance of that measure and you promised you would make sure that no money intended for infrastructure in communities is allowed to lapse, and that you would automatically top up the gas tax transfer at the end of every fiscal year to ensure that no money is allowed to lapse.
I hope you can understand our confusion as parliamentarians when we hear one thing one day and another thing another day. It makes it very difficult for us to hold the government accountable for what is a huge spending priority of the government.