Mr. Speaker, tomorrow I am sponsoring a private members' debate on the St. John's Harbour cleanup.
Federal funding for one-third of the $93 million project has been applied for but to date we have had no indication that our federal minister is even interested in the project.
This morning the federal minister was in St. John's talking about his interest in the municipal infrastructure, but he failed to use that occasion to announce a long term federal commitment for the St. John's Harbour cleanup.
The declining reputation of Canada's water and sewer system is very much in doubt these days. Given that the national budget has a surplus, it is about time Canada put some significant dollars into our inadequate municipal infrastructure.
I call upon our federal minister to live up to his election promise and obtain federal funding for the St. John's Harbour cleanup.