As 2025 draws to a close, Quinte News sat down with Bay of Quinte MP Chris Malette to discuss the past year.
Despite an unusual spring election, MP Malette said that a lot got done in the shortened legislative year.
One of the biggest projects locally was an $850 million investment in CFB Trenton for runway improvements and the infrastructure needed for new aircraft.
“When the government makes an investment of $850 million in things like the runway improvements and building new infrastructure, the trickle-down effect in the community is massive,” said MP Malette. “So we had trades and contractors from all across the region and Eastern Ontario, for that matter, working there.”
There were also significant investments made in affordable housing and municipal infrastructure across the region.
While making major investments in the community, MP Malette cited managing people’s expectations as a challenge with getting big projects off the ground. He said that people expect projects to move fast, but rushing causes problems down the line.
“We have the Auditor General come out at some point and find that, because the rollout of XYZ program was was done so quickly, that it didn’t have all the safeguards in check,” said MP Malette. “My point being is that we can’t simply throw this money into the wind and hope it lands in the right places.”
He said that many of the projects that people expect to be done quickly take time to get right.
