Mr. Speaker, I agree with part of his comment, which is that municipalities do have some degree of difficulty in raising revenues. He and I would probably agree that is true. I know my own city of Toronto has limitations on its revenue raising capacities. It has been somewhat restricted by the previous provincial government, under Mr. Harris, over its ability to tax property and use other leverage to gain other revenues, such as perhaps a hotel tax and things of that nature.
The motion is not about an imbalance between the provinces and the municipalities. It is about the so-called imbalance between the federal government and the provincial governments. I put it to the hon. member that there cannot be an imbalance between the constituent elements of the federation. All of them have the same access to the same revenues. It is logically and intellectually inconsistent to argue otherwise.
However, that cannot be argued with municipalities and provinces. Clearly, municipalities are creatures of the province and they have limitations on their revenues. I agree with the member, that there is a fiscal imbalance there. That is because it is structural.