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 this morning 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.
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“The government’s goals of jobs and economic growth are worthy and commendable,” said independent Sen. Anne Cools, who is deputy chair of the committee.
“We want to track progress, and if we as parliamentarians are expected to do our work, we believe that they can do even better by creating a clear plan, with concrete targets and specific performance measures, that will help them to meet their objectives.”
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.
READ MORE: Budget watchdog targets slow infrastructure spending
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.
-With files from Global News
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