Mr. Speaker, the motion is in regard to supporting infrastructure programs. The amendment refers only to how one should fund these infrastructure programs. Of course the member for Simcoe Centre was writing in support of funding an infrastructure program which is exactly what the amendment is about.
Let us get back to the member for Simcoe Centre because I like him a lot. The member for Simcoe Centre in commenting to a reporter said "of other infrastructure programs". By coincidence, these other projects were not in his riding, but here is what he said about them. Remember, let us not be cynical. These other projects to which I am going to refer were in someone else's riding. He said
about those: "It is not infrastructure; it is a make work project. They talk about the short term jobs this is creating but those jobs can be anywhere from one day to one month". He was explaining how these things were wrong, among them renovating the coliseum in Edmonton and building facilities and arenas elsewhere.
All those other arenas were wrong but the arena in Barrie was right. It just happens to be in the riding of the member for Simcoe Centre. It was worthy of support and all the praise I brought to the attention of the House a moment ago. It constituted all those virtuous things I described to the House, such as promoting public and private sector partnerships, and so on.
How could that be? How could it be that infrastructure projects are worthy when they are in the hon. member's riding but virtually identical projects in someone else's riding are not worthy of similar praise? I am sure there is a reasonable explanation for this and we will hear it soon.
Let us talk about the infrastructure works program. The city of Calgary has put out a publication on the Canada-Alberta infrastructure works program. It is called "Calgary at Work". Calgary of course is where the ridings of the leader of the Reform Party and other Reform members are located. I wonder if they will pay attention to this because we might ask them questions later. The publication "Calgary at Work" lauds all the virtues of the infrastructure program and all the things that have been done in Calgary. Here are some of the things-