Madam Speaker, I cannot believe the comments my friend in the corner has made on infrastructure. He will be sitting in the corner for a long time with the comments that he has made on infrastructure, I can assure everyone. He should be ashamed of himself for standing and criticizing the government on municipal infrastructure. His party is the one that in 1984 when it came to power did not embrace the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' national infrastructure program.
As a former president of the FCM I take great exception. He should know better, being a member of the board for so many years, in our struggles to get the Conservative Party to support infrastructure. I have a letter from the president of the FCM dated March 5 stating that the FCM has enjoyed a long and productive relation with the Government of Canada and that many specific initiatives include the national infrastructure program, working with the homeless, affordable housing, et cetera.
The fact is that the relationships the government has with urban communities in this country are very strong. We have had three national infrastructure programs. We are about to embark on a fourth, leveraging money with municipalities and the provinces. The member forgets the leveraging. I should also point out the strategic infrastructure program.
I would like to ask him where his friends are in the province of Ontario now that the government has committed over $430 million to GTA transportation. We are still waiting for the Conservative government in Ontario to do something to match the funds in order to meet the $1.2 billion. Perhaps he could pick up the phone and call his good buddies in Queen's Park. I know they are not sitting but perhaps he could find them. I would like to know where the money is because this is an important issue.
The member cannot have it both ways. He cannot criticize the government for not doing anything according to him, and when we are doing things not recognize the valuable contributions being made with our partners.