QUESTION PERIOD — Infrastructure and Communities
Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund
June 11, 2024
Leader, in November 2021, communities across British Columbia were devastated by unprecedented floods and landslides. At the time, I asked you in Question Period about the Trudeau government’s assistance to these communities, and your positive response at a difficult time was welcomed.
Last week, the mayors of Abbotsford, Merritt and Princeton held a joint press conference. They informed the public that their respective applications for funding under the federal Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund had all been denied.
Leader, it’s safe to say these communities are shocked by this rejection. Why has the Trudeau government chosen not to honour the promises it made three years ago? Will your government reconsider?
Thank you for your question. I am sorry to hear that those particular applications were not funded, but the government’s program to which you refer — the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund — has already provided $2.8vbillion to 115 projects across the country, and it will continue to work with partners to finalize those.
I’m not in a position, senator, to comment on the reasons why these particular applications were not accepted, but the government is holding true to its promise to assist communities, as evidenced by the amount of money that has already been provided to support well over 100 projects across the country.
I hope that these three applications will be revisited. It’s very important for them.
It’s hard not to think of these B.C. communities in light of the Auditor General’s report about the green slush fund. She reported that, on dozens of occasions, Liberal insiders approved tens of millions of taxpayers’ dollars for companies in which they had an interest. How do you explain this blatant waste and cronyism to these communities being denied the help they were promised by the Trudeau government?
Inappropriate allocation or awarding of contracts is not acceptable — period — regardless of connections that one might, or might not, make with other government programs. The government took action in that area. It has handed over the fund to a Crown agency, and has every confidence that things will be done properly going forward.
