Mr. Speaker, the question is quite a good one because it clearly is on the minds of many Canadians throughout the municipal field.
There is no doubt that the question of predictability and determined amounts, including the fact that people want to know when these things will happen, have been front burner issues for municipalities and provinces. I believe the legislation and agreement go a long way in allowing provinces to answer those questions of predictability especially.
With the federal involvement, with the negotiations about to begin with municipalities on the gas tax and with the recent history of the $590 million allocated this year through the GST rebate, the federal government is getting involved. No matter what the legislative constraints may be, we will be there.
All through this debate, I have listened very keenly to the questioning. I have thought about how municipalities have been addressed. I feel very strongly that this type of increase in funding, the allocations that will stabilize the provinces and give more predictability to their own budget processes, will be most helpful to the municipalities.