Posted by Sudbury Northern Life Reporter Bill Bradley
The federal Conservatives boasted of a historic $7 billion infrastructure program in their budget Jan. 27, but the opposition said that help for cities such as Greater Sudbury has strings attached.
Thomas Mulcair, deputy NDP leader, told CBC Radio after
the budget speech that much of the federal spending requires
provinces like Ontario, and cities like Greater Sudbury, to
ante up money of their own to match federal funds.
"They already promised $33 billion in infrastructure spending, but they have complicated the qualifications to receive funding so badly that right now, little of that money has even been spent. Now they are saying they will only spend on infrastructure if the provinces and cities match their funds," said Mulcair.
Mulcair's comments were echoed by Sudbury NDP MP Glenn Thibeault.
"Our leader, Jack Layton, recently returned from a meeting of the mayors from the 20 largest cities in Canada. They complained about the Build Canada program of the federal government. The mayor of Montreal said his city had received not a cent of Build Canada money and that many of the other mayors nodded in agreement with that comment."
Carl Zehr, mayor of Kitchener, and chair of the Big Cities caucus of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, said on CBC Radio there was good and bad news about the help for cities.
"At least the federal government acknowledges that cities need help. We have been recognized. But the bad news is that it remains to be seen how the access to the infrastructure money is handled."
His sentiment was echoed by Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff.
"Infrastructure is key. Are they going to get the money out the door?"
Greater Sudbury Mayor John Rodriguez told Northern Life he was unsure about what the infrastructure announcement meant until he saw more detail.
"This budget has possibilities but we do not know the details," said Rodriguez.
He complained that the federal government's Build Canada infrastructure fund still had not sent the city their criteria nor an application form, and that had slowed the city down in submitting lists of potential projects.
"We have all kinds of projects worth hundreds of millions of dollars. There is the $350,000 parking lot for Pioneer Manor, $500,000 for public libraries, $1 million for phase four of our community archive, but we need the specifications on how we can apply," he said.
Rodriguez was disappointed that more money was not made available for infrastructure.
"There is $7 billion for infrastructure that is spread across the entire country. If Ontario has 40 per cent of the population, that translates into only $3 billion."
But a release by the Ontario Minister of Finance, Dwight Duncan, said that they were happy to see the federal government coming to the table to make much needed infrastructure investments they have been calling for.
"The McGuinty government is encouraged to see the federal government recognizing the serious economic and fiscal challenges we face. There is a marked change in the tone of the federal government and today's budget is a step in the right direction."
Sudbury MP Glenn Thibeault wondered whether the province would be able to afford in the infrastructure program because it has to ante up money.
"Will Ontario have their one third share for some projects? Paper does not create jobs."
