Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Nanaimo—Ladysmith. I think we share the same goal, which is to create favourable conditions for public transit. We may differ on how to achieve that.
I can assure her that our government is determined to build an economy that works for middle-class Canadians. That is why we embarked on an in-depth review of federal spending, taking into account concerns people shared with us about the efficiency, fairness, and complexity of the tax system.
The purpose of the review was to ensure that federal spending is fair for Canadians as well as efficient and viable in terms of the budget. We know that eliminating misguided and ineffective tax measures as well as ineffective and outdated government initiatives saves money and frees up resources that can be redirected toward more important priorities.
Quite simply, evidence suggests that the public transit tax credit has been ineffective in encouraging the use of public transit and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Canadians deserve better. They deserve government investments that actually work for them, whether in support of public transit or a cleaner environment. Our government is committed to supporting both, but unlike the public transit tax credit, we are doing so in a manner that is actually effective.
Budget 2017, for example, announced $20.1 billion in funding over 11 years to provinces and territories, plus at least $5 billion through the Canada Infrastructure Bank for improved public transit, and it goes even further to support clean, healthy communities for Canadians.
Budget 2017 laid out the government's plan to invest $21.9 billion in green infrastructure, including initiatives that will support the implementation of the pan-Canadian framework on clean growth and climate change. This included $9.2 billion for provinces and territories over the next 11 years to support priority projects, including those that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, deliver clean water, safely manage waste water, help communities prepare for challenges that result from climate change, and help build cleaner, better connected electricity systems.
These are just a few examples of the steps we are taking to put our plan into action, a plan to grow the economy in a way that works for the middle class and those working hard to join it.
It is worth mentioning that we also introduced a tax cut for the middle class that is helping nearly nine million Canadians. Furthermore, thanks to the Canada child benefit, nine out of ten families are getting more help today than they did under previous programs, with an average increase of nearly $2,300 in tax-free benefits per year.
Still more recently, in budget 2017, the government took steps to make these tax breaks for individuals and families even more effective and more accessible. These are just a few examples of what we can achieve when we make more efficient use of available resources.
This is why I am proud to support this approach for the benefit of Canadians.