Liberals tell provinces infrastructure cash tied to helping economy – Daily Commercial News
Jul 13, 2017
OTTAWA — The Trudeau government is telling provinces and territories that billions in new infrastructure money won’t flow from federal coffers unless lower levels of government can show that the spending will boost the rate of economic growth.
Nor will projects likely be eligible for federal funds if they can’t show a benefit to the environment — particularly reducing greenhouse gas emissions — as the Liberals place conditions on $33 billion in planned spending over the next 11 years.
In letters delivered recently, Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi tells his provincial counterparts that the government is taking an outcomes-based approach to funding decisions, which means projects have to meet national objectives and not just local interests.
Under the terms of federal funding outlined in Sohi’s letters, provinces will have to publicly report on the environmental and employment benefits from any project.
