Question Period Note: FEDERAL-PROVINCIAL-TERRITORIAL-MUNICIPAL WORKING RELATIONSHIP

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About

Reference number:
INFC-072020-INFC-0014
Date received:
Dec 5, 2019
Organization:
Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
Name of Minister:
McKenna, Catherine (Hon.)
Title of Minister:
Minister of Infrastructure and Communities

Issue/Question:

Media accounts of Minister McKenna’s recent remarks to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities note her commitment to accelerate the pace of infrastructure projects built by working with all levels of government.

Suggested Response:

  • The Government is making historic investments in infrastructure across the country to support a high quality of life for Canadian families, stimulate local economies, create good jobs, and tackle climate change.

  • Collaboration and partnership with provinces, territories, municipalities, and Indigenous partners are key to delivering modern, resilient, and green infrastructure projects and building a better Canada for all Canadians.

  • That is why we are committed to working closely with our partners to build infrastructure projects quickly across Canada.

Background:

  • In a speech to the Canadian Federation of Municipalities (FCM) on November 27, 2019, the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities emphasized the need for all orders of government – federal, provincial/territorial and municipal – to work together to accelerate the pace of projects being built across Canada.

  • Infrastructure Canada’s largest active-intake program is currently the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program which is investing $33.5 billion over ten years via allocations to provinces and territories. The conditions for this funding are outlined in integrated bilateral agreements the federal government signed with each province and territory. Under this program provinces and territories prioritize eligible projects for funding based on regional needs and their respective intake processes.

  • Over the past year, close to thirty percent of the ten-year Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program allocations for provinces and territories has already been approved for specific projects.

  • While provinces and territories have allocated a significant share of program funding, they would like to see greater flexibility to move funding between program streams and to see accelerate project approvals.

  • Infrastructure Canada also works with provinces and territories to meet objectives under the Disaster Mitigation Adaptation Fund (DMAF), and a wide array of programs that are now closed to new projects but are still being implemented.

  • In addition, Infrastructure Canada provides funding through the Gas Tax Fund for community infrastructure priorities.

Additional Information:

None