I quite like what Mr. Smith just said.
We, of course, need flexibility, so the terms and conditions of the funding need to be examined to ensure the money can be used, especially when more funding is available. Greater flexibility is key. Too often, we are forced to carry out very specific projects.
It's normal for the government to set standards and priorities, but when those priorities are addressed, municipalities need to be able to invest where it's needed. It might be a fire station or a garage. In many cases, projects have to adhere to too many standards, so we end up giving money back to the government. Meanwhile, we are taxing residents because we aren't allowed to use that money. The gas tax is a good example. Before that, we had a lot more flexibility, but now, we have less and less. We were at least able to put the provincial portion towards something else, but that is no longer allowed. The legislation did not change. It was considered acceptable, and people thought they could use that portion. Now, the rules are being tightened and the funding is going up. The problem, however, is that municipalities won't have a chance to use the funding. The program was designed first and foremost for municipalities, so give them some flexibility. A wide range of investments are needed at the municipal level, so the federal government really needs to look at how it can help with that.