Madam Speaker, I want to assure my colleague that, having spent 20 years on the front lines as a planner at the municipal and provincial levels, I understand very well that it is the people on the ground who understand the requirements of projects and the needs of communities better than anyone else. I would completely agree with that.
However, we can also agree that we as a federal government and as a Parliament also have to exercise some oversight and accountability on how those dollars are spent to ensure that outcomes are achieved that Canadians are looking for. This government was elected on a mandate to reinvigorate and reinvest in communities to create prosperity and jobs, and we have an oversight obligation to make sure that happens.
As the Prime Minister often says, better is always possible, and I am open to any kind of suggestions the member might offer to improve the language in the agreements.