Russell Stands up for Municipal Funding in Labrador

NORTH WEST RIVER, March 16, 2009 — Labrador MP Todd Russell called on the Harper government to implement the Liberal policy on how to distribute new infrastructure funds that will help stimulate the economy and create jobs that was adopted by the House of Commons this week.

Russell voted with other Liberals to pass a motion to require half of new infrastructure funds to follow the methods in the existing gas tax transfer. Under this method, municipalities would choose projects, funds would not have to be matched by other levels of government and the money would be shared on a per capita basis.  The gas tax transfer model will also enable cities and communities to pool, bank and borrow funds that are allocated to them each year and so that promised money does not lapse as it has under the Building Canada Fund

“This model will create new jobs would and get shovels in the ground very quickly”, said (NAME) “(name of communities/our communities) would receive  (individual amounts/amount of total funding) for (example projects, if available).”

Official Opposition Infrastructure, Cities and Communities Critic Gerard Kennedy introduced the legislation after that a only 5 percent of promised funds were distributed last year leaving $2 billion unspent. The Harper government’s spending promises were also heavily distorted in favour of some Conservative ridings, short-changing the majority of Canadians.

“Workers and their families depend on the Harper government to follow through on what it has failed to do so far: deliver infrastructure funding responsibly, quickly and fairly,” said (NAME).

The gas tax transfer was established by the previous Liberal government in 2005 on a schedule that rose to $1 billion in 2008-09 and $2 billion in 2009-10.  The new proposal would see it increased to $3 billion for 2009-10.

 The method was endorsed by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) in January this year as the preferred means of distributing new infrastructure funds.

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Todd Russell, MP

Labrador

(613) 996-4630