In a post-COVID-19 world, a smart, simplified infrastructure plan is key

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, the world has changed significantly. Communities are devastated, six million Canadians are out of work, lives have turned upside down, and many sectors of the economy are on hold, including infrastructure. In a post-COVID-19 world that will gradually return to normal, investments in infrastructure will be crucial to the relaunch of the economy in all regions of the country. The federal government will need to review its $186.7-billion investment plan to make it more flexible and accessible to projects of all sizes in all regions of Canada. Since the creation of its $186.7-billion Investing in Canada Plan, the Liberal government has been slow to get shovels in the ground, often carrying over budgeted funds from year to year. Further delays caused by the pandemic will only increase the costs of current projects. If we take no action, what will the impact be on Canada’s economy? On Jan. 29, the House of Commons addressed the need for efficient and transparent infrastructure spending by passing a motion calling on “the Auditor General of Canada to immediately conduct an audit of the government’s Investing in Canada Plan, including, but not be limited to, verifying whether the plan lives up to its stated goals and promises.” This was necessary, in part, because the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) reported on March 15, 2018, that “Budget 2018 provides an incomplete account of the changes to the government’s $186.7-billion infrastructure spending plan” and that the “PBO requested the new plan but it does not exist.” Now is the time for the government to be transparent and present a real plan to relaunch the economy. Canada was the first G7 country to emerge from the 2008-09 recession, thanks to the Harper government's Economic Action Plan. This plan not only enabled large-scale projects, but also advanced a significant number of small projects in smaller communities, such as recreation and sports centres. The COVID-19 crisis has also brought to light one of Canada's major challenges: the weakness of high-speed internet for all Canadians. Telecommuting and long-distance virtual education have demonstrated the immediate need for broadband internet across the country, especially for rural and distant communities. We have seen how interconnectivity is now an economic and educational lifeline, yet millions of Canadians do not have reliable internet access or high-speed Internet. “Sixty-three per cent of rural households do not have access to speeds that are considered standard: 50 megabits per second (Mbps) download speed and 10 Mbps upload speed, according to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).” With millions of adults depending on it for work and with millions of students depending on it for education, it is now difficult for anyone to argue that high-speed broadband internet is not an essential service. Going forward in a post-COVID-19 world, it will be imperative to review the need for real stimulus funding of the infrastructure deficit that remains across Canada. Roads, bridges, sewers, water and wastewater treatment plants, flood prevention measures, and others, will still require refurbishment, rebuilding, and expansion. After all the COVID-19 costs have been incurred and tabulated, provinces, territories, and municipalities will face real challenges with being able to afford significant but necessary infrastructure spending. The Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) has already asked the federal government for $400-million per month to keep transit services running, and for another $1.2-billion to help transit services maintain liquidity. This is simply one example of the need for operational funding. By necessity, the current infrastructure funding process that involves more than 30 separate federal departments with no central point of accountability should be simplified, stable, and more transparent. In 2017, the Liberal government created the Canada Infrastructure Bank with the mandate to spend some $35-billion with private sector on big projects. Instead of getting important infrastructure projects built, the Liberal government has been playing executive musical chairs at the Bank. The Infrastructure Bank has been slow to finance projects, and always seems lacking in leadership. What role, if any, should the Bank play in a post-COVID-19 world? Do we really need this other layer of government to get money out and put shovels in the ground? We have a unique opportunity to get Canada back to work, to create new, greener, and more sustainable infrastructure in all communities, and to update our transportation systems. It is up to the government to do its homework, to be more transparent and to trust its provincial, municipal, and Indigenous partners. Conservatives recognize the importance of infrastructure to Canada, its communities, and the Canadian economy. We will continue to fight for Canadians and demonstrate why we need to continue to meet in person in the House of Commons to ask the tough questions. Oversight and accountability are especially important during a time of crisis. Luc Berthold is the Member of Parliament for Megantic-L'Erable, Que., and the Conservative infrastructure and communities critic. The Hill Times

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In a post-COVID-19 world, a smart, simplified infrastructure plan is key

It is up to the government to do its homework, to be more transparent and to trust its provincial, municipal, and Indigenous partners.

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