Mr. Speaker, we need to ensure the federal government commits to an infrastructure funding plan on a long-term horizon. The important piece is that communities cannot keep going year by year to find out if they are going to get infrastructure dollars.
The Association of Municipalities of Ontario states:
Every day, municipal infrastructure provides the foundation that allows our residents and businesses to participate effectively in the modern economy. For example, transportation infrastructure connects people to jobs, consumers to producers and enables businesses to bring their products to market, both locally and abroad. In fact, research by Statistics Canada notes that businesses save 11 cents for every dollar invested in public infrastructure. In manufacturing, a large component of Ontario's economy, costs are reduced by 22 cents for each dollar that is invested.
When we look at the infrastructure dollars, it is not just about the services that are being provided to people in those communities; it is with respect to the economy.
I will ask my colleague to speak a bit more about the important piece that is missing by the current government. Even with the economic action plan, we saw from community to community how some of them found the timelines too tight. They need more flexibility, and long-term funding would do that. Could my colleague elaborate on that a bit more?