Senate urges Liberals to devise detailed infrastructure plan
by The Canadian Press
A national finance committee report warns that without a plan the $186 billion in planned spending could miss its mark and potentially impair growth
OTTAWA—The Senate’s national finance committee is challenging the federal Liberals to finally come up with a detailed strategy to invest billions in new infrastructure.
The committee’s report released Feb. 28 warns that without such a plan the money could miss its mark and impair the ability of the economy to grow in the coming years.
The report says the Liberals must not only invest the right amount in infrastructure, but also in the right places—particularly in trade infrastructure.
The federal government is set to dole out $186 billion in infrastructure money over the coming decade, with almost half of that stemming from the Liberals’ new infrastructure plan.
The government is finalizing the details of the second phase of its infrastructure program, valued at around $80 billion.
The Liberals say that money will be aimed at building large, transformational projects that will also help grow the economy.
The Senate committee’s report is recommending the government create a single window for funding, instead of being spread across multiple departments and agencies, and take into account the needs of municipalities when deciding how money will be spent.
