Though the 6th Quarterly Update on the Economic Action Plan won't be released by the Conservative government until later this morning, Liberal finance critic Scott Brison (left) was out in the foyer of the House of Commons early this morning to speak to reporters about it.
“This is yet again another photo opp from a Prime Minister who’s more interested in photo ops and signs than in projects and jobs.”
Brison called on the federal government to modify its insistence that it will not pay for projects that are not complete by March 31, 2011.
“This is not the fault of the community-based organizations or the municipalities that are out there trying to get these projects done. It’s the fault of a prime minister’s office and a government that has so politicized the process of infrastructure spending that they’ve actually slowed down these projects. This is not about new stimulus spending. This is not about new stimulus money commmitments. This is simply about respecting existing commitments that the government of Canada has made to these community-based organizations and these municipal partners. It is wrong for the government to allow half-finished projects to cease and and to stop as a result of an arbitrary deadline when the municipal partners have proceeded on good faith and are simply waiting for factors [like] weather, contractors — and it’s up to the government to honour its commitment to these municipal and community based partners.”
Listen here to the rest of Brison's opening statement to reporters (about 2 minutes long)