Mr. Speaker, last year, the federal government collected $7 billion, or $220 per person, in gas taxes and in GST on the cost of fuel and a tax on the excise tax. The money went directly into general revenues without any commitments for roads or infrastructure.
In the fall, the Prime Minister ran for office saying that he was going to give more money to municipalities. He promised that he was going to end the democratic deficit and respect the wishes of the House. The House voted in October to give substantive gas tax dollars back to municipalities.
As we head into an election campaign, the federal government is promising to give the municipalities $48 million per month. It is quite simply a spending spree within 60 days of an election call.
This is simple, typical, Liberal vote buying politics of writing cheques with an IOU expected on election day.
This government is ignoring the provinces and trying to buy the votes of Canadian municipalities. If it really wants Canadians to believe—