'They're wasting it all': Poilievre rejects municipal calls for more infrastructure money

Federal Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre says he does not back a move to boost infrastructure funding to municipalities.

Poilievre, in Aurora on Friday afternoon touring the Treasure Mills bakery on Engelhard Drive, said despite calls from local governments, including from Aurora Mayor Tom Mrakas, he would not back transferring a portion of GST from new home sales to municipalities.

“Municipal governments, don’t ever let them bullshit you, are bursting with cash, and they’re wasting it all,” he said in an interview with AuroraToday. “That’s why we don’t have enough infrastructure. Cut the bureaucracy, get their hands out of people’s pockets.”

Poilievre added that municipal government revenues have grown through the collection of development cost charges, and would require municipal governments to speed up permits.

“Trudeau will give more and more to incompetent, greedy, money-hungry municipal politicians,” he added. “I will cut the bureaucracy, and axe the tax.”

Poilievre recently proposed cutting the GST on new house sales for homes sold for under $1 million, which he said will leave home buyers with more money, lower prices and incentivize building. He added that cutting the carbon tax would lower prices on building materials.

“Politicians have been driving up the cost of housing for long enough,” he added. “They need to get the hell out of the way and let builders build, and let buyers buy.”

Aurora council passed Mrakas’ motion at its Nov. 26 meeting, calling on the provincial and federal governments to redistribute a portion of the taxes from house sales to local governments to help cover infrastructure costs. Since then, a number of other municipalities, as well as Durham and York Regions, have passed similar motions.

The motion calls on the federal government, which collects GST on the sales of new homes, to redistribute a portion of those funds to help with infrastructure costs.

“I was disappointed to hear the ill-informed comments from the leader of the opposition with regards to much needed infrastructure funding for municipalities," Mrakas said in an email statement. "Municipalities like Aurora are the level of government closest to the people, providing essential services that residents rely on daily, from safe drinking water and well-maintained roads to recreation programs and parks. Suggesting that municipalities are 'flush with cash' does not reflect the reality we face."

Mrakas added that municipalities "operate under strict financial constraints," and are reliant on property taxes and user fees for revenue.

"In Aurora, we take pride in being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars, focusing on transparency and long-term planning to ensure every dollar is spent wisely," he added. "Pierre Poilievre’s refusal to support my motion with over 50 Ontario municipalities in support to redistribute a portion of GST from home sales to municipalities is short-sighted. While the Conservatives’ plan to remove GST on new homes under $1 million is a positive step to lower costs, it doesn’t address the broader need for predictable infrastructure funding to support growth."

"Instead of pointing fingers, we invite leaders at all levels to work with municipalities to address systemic funding challenges, including the growing gap between infrastructure needs and available resources," added Mrakas. "Collaboration, not division, will ensure our communities continue to thrive."

Mrakas was elected to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario's board of directors during its annual conference in Ottawa last August. In that role, he said he would be advocating for the way municipalities receive infrastructure funding to be "restructured."

When asked about U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's proposed 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods, Poilievre said "we assure our American friend that we are a safe and trusted trading partner."

"Tariffs would increase the cost to Americans, the apply on goods coming from Canada to the U.S., so I think it would be a bad move from President Trump if he wants affordable homes he has to allow Canadian lumber," he said,