Mr. Speaker, there is no question that a national infrastructure program is critical for the economy, for the environment and for the health of Canadians.
In 1983, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities proposed an infrastructure program involving all orders of government in the country. In 1993, the government adopted the national infrastructure program of the FCM.
Traditional infrastructure is roads, sewers, bridges and water. The announcement in the Speech from the Throne clearly indicates all three orders of government participating. Municipally driven is what I would like to see. I would like to see that we are involving all orders of government in a process by which we have at the moment basically a $40 billion deficit in infrastructure in the areas that I have just outlined. There is no question that over 125,000 direct and indirect jobs were created by the last national infrastructure program.
One of the things that varies in the proposals in the Speech from the Throne is that we actually have a blueprint for five years. We think this is critical when we look at our competition, the United States, Europe and elsewhere. I know that every member in the House benefited from the national infrastructure program. The mayors of the communities in these members' ridings, including my good friends across the way in the Reform Party, have benefited very much. There are some former mayors over there.
The program delivered both in terms of job creation and in speeding up needed infrastructure programs. I say to my hon. friend that there is no question that by involving all orders of government, we will be able to improve our economy by being able to move people, certainly through roads being reconstructed—