Federal fund for public transit: André Fortin expects to recover the$ 40 Million missing

Photo Simon Clark
The minister of Transport, André Fortin, has also revealed that it is at the request of his government, that the part of the federal fund that was in Quebec, has been calculated on the basis of the number of users, rather than on the population.

Marc-André Gagnon

Thursday, 15 march, 2018 19:22

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Thursday, 15 march, 2018 19:25

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The minister of Transport, André Fortin, confirms that Ottawa has failed to include twelve transport companies in the calculation of the share that goes to Quebec to finance its public transport projects, and expects to recover the$ 40 Million missing.

• READ ALSO: transit: a calculation error that deprives Quebec of$40 Million

As revealed by our parliamentary Bureau, the sum of 924 M$ announced in 2016 by the prime ministers, Justin Trudeau and Philippe Couillard for the transit funding has been calculated on the basis of the traffic estimated by the canadian Association of urban transport (CUTA).

However, the traffic of the transport companies, who are not a member, such as those of Lévis, Saguenay, Trois-Rivières and crowns Montreal has not been taken into account. Quebec’s share was, therefore, based on a portrait that corresponds to only 94% of the goodwill of the provincial real, that is, a shortfall of 6 %.

Questioned in the house by the member pq’s Martin Ouellet, the minister of Transport, André Fortin, has confirmed that this represents the sum of$40 Million.

“Indeed, there is a proportion that Quebec could go and look, first, said Mr. Fortin. This proportion further-here is part of the applications for the second phase of the FITC (federal fund for transit infrastructure), which is currently under negotiation. “

At the request of the Quebec

The minister Fortin has also revealed that it is at the request of Quebec, the envelope has been calculated on the basis of the number of users, rather than on the population.

“During the negotiation on the total budget, the Québec requested and Quebec obtained as the envelope of federal be based on traffic in transit, and not on the population. It is, therefore, to say that Quebec gets 27 % of the total overall federal [$3.4 billion], rather than 23 %, if it would have been based on the population. “

“Quebecers have been cheated “

The member pq of René-Lévesque has not failed to accuse the government Couillard of having poorly negotiated the agreement, all the more as four of its ministers have signed it.

“Quebecers have been cheated 40 million, was denounced in the house Mr. Ouellet. […] Is this going to be retroactive? If you don’t have this $ 40 million there, Mr. minister, what is the transit project will not see the day? “

“The$ 40 Million is part of the requests of the government of Quebec, had finally ensured Mr. Fortin. It is a request that we make to the government of Canada for negotiation which is currently underway. “