Thank you, Mr. Chair.
My question is for Ms. Skivsky.
We often hear about the great need for infrastructure, but we also hear a lot from municipalities about the fact that infrastructure is expensive, which is normal. Are there ways to bring the costs down? I have a number of ideas in mind, but I would like to hear your thoughts.
It seems that some contractors are reluctant to sign up for certain programs or projects because they wonder whether they will get paid next year, in five years, or in 10 years. Contractors sometimes worry that they won't get their money. They think they may not be financially strong enough to wait that long to get paid.
Could other methods be put in place to help our local contractors? A wider range of contractors, as well as local people, might sign up. Some also say that the big city companies always get the contracts and the small ones are often left behind.