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With over 80% of Canadians living in cities, it’s vital that our urban centers are livable and sustainable. Unfortunately, city councils have little more than property taxes to pay for programs and projects – a situation that encourages unchecked growth and sprawl. Mayors of Canada’s big cities are talking about a “New Deal” with provincial and federal governments to get more funding for infrastructure. It's a great idea, so long as it's a New Green Deal. To ensure our cities will be vibrant, prosperous and safe in the 21st century, federal funds should be tied to environmentally sustainable programs and projects. What the parties say:
Next >> How the parties measure up: #4 Protecting Canada’s natural riches
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How the parties measure up:
Bloc: Calls for more federal funds for municipal infrastructure including a share of the federal gas tax. While recognizing some of the important environmental issues of cities, they make no reference to attaching these new funds to sustainability criteria.
Conservative: No specific reference to federal funds for municipal infrastructure but the platform states that federal funding for existing infrastructure would be cut. (The only exception is border-related infrastructure.) Would transfer some of the gas tax to provinces who could possibly decide to share this revenue with cities. No reference to attaching these new funds to sustainability criteria. 
Green: Would negotiate an agreement to give municipalities a fixed share of federal tax revenues. Have policies to support public transit and compact urban design and would increase infrastructure funding to improve municipal water and sewage systems. No reference to attaching these new funds to sustainability criteria. 
Liberal: Promise a New Deal for cities; support for public transit, reallocating a share of the gas tax to municipalities, and giving urban leaders a seat at the table for federal decisions that affect municipal agendas. Would commit $2 billion to urban infrastructure but no reference to attaching these new funds to sustainability criteria.
NDP: Committed to federal investment in public transit, bike paths, water and sewage treatment infrastructure, and waste reduction strategies to be funded through new federal funding and sharing federal gas tax with municipalities. Have a policy to create an alternative to urban sprawl through tax incentives that would stimulate the renovation and restoration of buildings downtown as housing stock. No reference to attaching these new funds to sustainability criteria.
