“BUILDING SUSTAINABLE
COMMUNITIES..”
A
conversation with the Hon. Dennis Mills, MP
By John Saraidaris
Q.Thank
you for taking the time to speak with us today.
A.Thanks
very much for giving me the opportunity to speak with you about one of the
most important issues facing Canadians in this campaign.
I know and Prime Minister Paul Martin knows that funding for cities
and communities is particularly important to voters in our Canadian Greek community.
Q.Why are
cities and communities such an important item on Paul Martin’s agenda?
A.Canada
depends on cities and communities to compete internationally.
We need up-to-date and efficient infrastructure and we need to
attract and retain talented and creative people who want to live in clean,
safe, vibrant communities. For
example, new members of our Canadian
Greek community so
often come to this country looking for opportunity and a better life. If
these people are to prosper and truly fulfil their potential here, then we
must invest in our communities to attract them.
Q.Is this
just an election issue, what has the Liberal Government done for our
Canadian Greek community
up until now?
A.Well,
over the past ten years we have introduced a series of infrastructure
support programs worth some $10
billion dollars. That
includes things like the Municipal Infrastructure Fund and the Green
Infrastructure Fund. These
programs have paid for important local projects like upgrading the
outdated water systems in some of our nation’s cities.
But we
understand that that is not enough and under the leadership of Paul Martin
have committed to do more. In the 2004 budget, we made a substantial down
payment on this commitment by ending the GST on municipal spending.
That means $7 billion in new money for cities over the next ten
years. We have also sped up the delivery of the money, cutting ten-year
programs down to five.
Q.What is
the New Deal and why is it necessary?
A.The
New Deal is a brand-new way of handling the problems of our cities.
Canadian cities and communities urgently need to be able to upgrade
and expand facilities like their water systems and public transit. They
simply can’t do that kind of thing in the way it needs to be done with
only their property tax revenue and unpredictable funding from the federal
and provincial governments. They need long-term, stable and predictable
funding. So that’s why cities and communities need a New Deal.
We also
recognize that this means putting up real money.
That is why, in addition to the $7 billion GST break for cities,
Paul Martin has committed to finding a way to provide a share of the
federal gas tax for the benefit of municipalities by the end of this year.
The amount will grow to 5 cents per litre or at least $2 billion per year
over the next five years. That means another $4 to $5 billion for
municipalities in total over the next five years on top of the $7 billion
from the GST break. The government will also put up another $1.5 billion to help
communities build social and affordable housing.
But the Paul
Martin Liberals realize a New Deal means more than just money: it means
doing things differently. It means ending the arguments between levels of
government and recognizing that communities are important partners with
the provinces and the federal government in achieving important national
goals. These goals include
ensuring that Canadians in all communities have access to clean water;
that greenhouse gasses are reduced to protect our climate and that
new-comers to Canada can find safe, affordable and adequate housing.
It means
consulting with cities and communities formally before budgets are
drafted. That way they can
make their priorities clear at the early stages of federal budget planning
and contribute their local knowledge of what is required and how proposals
that might be under consideration would affect them locally.
This will bring the federal government into closer contact with
Canadians, something we know is a priority for our Canadian
Greek community.
Q. Mr.
Mills for one more time I would like to thank you for your time.
A. I
thank you too for your time, it is a pleasure talking to you.
