Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to participate in the debate on Bill C-52.
Since the House resumed sitting, we have been looking at a new structure for several federal departments. This restructuring exercise results from a wise decision made by the Prime Minister to streamline the federal administration in order to make it healthier, more efficient and, in particular, to save precious dollars for Canadian taxpayers.
Under the Conservative government, Cabinet had no less than 40 ministers, not to mention the political and bureaucratic support required, as well as the costs involved. We now have 20 departments which are more efficient and which will provide better and quicker service to taxpayers. The government is convinced that it can meet its objectives by pursuing four goals: streamlining the delivery of a number of services and programs; eliminating duplication and overlapping; defining the responsibility of each sector; and transferring some activities to other levels of government.
The bill which we are looking at today meets these objectives. Indeed, its goal is to make policies and programs more efficient, more affordable and also more accessible to our clientele, the citizens of our country. To determine, in consultation with provincial governments, who is in the best position to deliver a program or a service, and to make provision for adjustments to cope with changing priorities and situations from province to province are specific and realistic objectives designed to provide a better service to Canadians.
There is no doubt that, with the co-operation of the provinces, we can quickly make significant progress in this area. There is no doubt either that the review of all our programs and services in order to reduce duplication and overlapping is very important to Canadians. Every level of public administration is experiencing budgetary problems. Every government must find solutions to the growing deficit. We must spend wisely the money entrusted to us.
We must do more with less. In the past, everyone wanted their own structure, their own showcase, their own projects and their own service centres. However, we can no longer afford to support all that. Generally speaking, Bill C-52 will streamline the administrative procedures which allow us to reach agreements with the provincial governments.
I think that the infrastructure program is a perfect example of co-operation between the various levels of government. It confirms that, by pooling our resources and projects, we serve Canadians better while also creating many jobs in the process. The infrastructure program, which was clearly presented in our red book, is ideally suited to our current needs. We all agree that there is nothing to be gained by letting a country's infrastructure deteriorate, since this reduces its efficiency and, consequently, its competitiveness.
In Quebec, about one hundred very valuable projects were supported and approved by municipal, provincial and federal authorities. In several cases, work has already begun. Consequently, it is not surprising that people were shocked when the new Quebec minister of municipal affairs announced his intention to review dozens of these projects.
A new government has the right to do things differently from its predecessor. It can certainly do so when its plans and intentions were clearly stated to voters during the election campaign. For example, during the last federal campaign, we clearly indicated which programs we were going to eliminate.
We also said that we would look at the Pearson Airport deal and would cancel that project if we felt that it was not in the best interests of Canadians. And we did just that. So, it is normal for the new Quebec government to review projects, provided it indicated its intention to do so during the election campaign.
There can be no misunderstanding on this issue, and voters clearly got the message. However, in the case of the infrastructure program, we are talking about projects which have been proposed by municipalities, reviewed at the provincial level and, once approved and recommended by the Quebec government, reviewed and accepted or rejected by the federal government. All these projects were approved according to specific rules clearly stated from the beginning. We are therefore concerned to see the new Quebec government start from scratch.
I do hope that once the new Quebec minister of municipal affairs looks at these projects-hopefully in the very near future-he will confirm them, so that the communities and municipal organizations concerned can pursue the work which had already begun regarding these very important projects.
For example, in my own riding of Saint-Léonard, residents have been asking for years that a community centre be built to provide various services. The construction of that centre has now been put on hold and I hope that the minister will give his approval as soon as possible, so that work can begin on this very important project.