When the candidates in federal ridings across the country begin their election campaigns, they are likely to find a new lobby group approaching every one of them.
Centre Wellington Mayor Joanne Ross-Zuj said on Monday that this election is about the economy, and the municipal infrastructure deficit requires cash – and is a big part of that issue.
Ross-Zuj returned recently from a Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference where the issue of lobbying federal candidates about sustainable funding was much discussed. She said the municipalities allowed the provincial election to pass without such an effort, but those days are over.
And, she warned, candidates who argue that the province runs the municipalities are likely to face municipal wrath. She said it is amazing how the problems of municipalities are the same right across the country and even though provincial governments have ruling status over them, the infrastructure deficit is becoming a national issue.
She said a study done across Canada shows rebuilding municipal infrastructure will cost $123-billion, and municipalities are tired of waiting for help. Funding would kick start jobs and the economy across the country.
When the federal election was announced on Sunday, FCM president and Sherbrooke Mayor Jean Perrault issued a statement about municipal involvement in the election.
“Canadians are looking for leadership on bread and butter issues,” Perrault said. “They want this coming federal election campaign to be about the issues that truly affect them in their daily lives. Whether the issue is crumbling infrastructure or clean air and water, safe streets or affording housing, Canadians want practical answers from federal party leaders to the problems and challenges they experience first hand in their communities and in their neighbourhoods.”
Perrault added, “Unfortunately, these are the kinds of problems that too often have been pushed onto the backs of local government and property taxpayers to fix. This election should be different. It should be about federal leadership in the places Canadians live and work.”
Ross-Zuj, who sits on four committees of the FCM, said the federal government has made a good start by offering a portion of the gasoline tax but municipalities need more and more certain funding.
She said many municipalities face rural transit issues, but the federal money seems to be directed only at cities.
She said the Federation of Canadian Municipalities is urging municipal politicians to “put their agenda in the face of the candidates.
“I will certainly point out some of those questions to the candidates for a response,” she said. “I want this to be a campaign about issues.”
