Bairds Budget Blunder

Last night I decided I need TiVo. Well for a minute I did. John Baird dropped a bombshell.

Don Newman, in referencing his talks with Mayors and officials from cities and towns, said he had heard the big issue for the municipalities was that they couldn't afford their 1/3 of most infrastructure projects.

That's when the shocker hit, this isn't a direct quote, but Baird told Newman he has never heard of this issue. Newman looked puzzled, and asked again, it seemed like he was trying to correct Baird, and rightly so. Anyone who has any interest what so ever in current affairs knows the reality. We hear it over and over again on the news. Municipalities have infrastructure needs they can't meet because of costs.

They agree they need the pay their share 1/3, but until now the Harper conservatives won't front end load the cost, which would help get all these projects going.

Baird, after Newman pressed him on the issue several times, still said that he has never been told by a big city mayor that the 1/3 cost was an issue.

Either Baird isn't listening to anyone or thing other than Harper, or this is the way the Conservatives are again going to spin things.

Here is what will happen, as has already happened. Harper makes an announcement of "x" number of millions, has a big press conference, flies in his private Jet to the event, announces the money, and then it stays in the bank because Harper won't allow for front end loading of costs.

Harper then touts his infrastructure spending, but in reality that money sits in the bank, no work gets done, but Harper can still say he did something, when all he did was create work for those staging his press conferences.

I know this may all sound like semantics and perhaps Baird misspoke.

No he didn't. He was asked a very clear question about a subject that is widely talked about. We all know that Municipalities and Cities are in a financial bind, Baird seems to no be aware, and he is the Minister in charge of Infrastructure.

This can't be good.