In today’s Fall Economic Statement, Finance Minister Bill Morneau announced new measures to ensure “middle class progress,” to identify priorities for the Phase 2 funding flowing from Budget 2016. The statement also provided an update on progress made related to investments over the past year.
These include:
- Investing an additional $81 billion in infrastructure;
- Signing bilateral agreements with all provinces and territories for the Clean Water and Wastewater Fund, with 760 projects having been approved for funding, and over 65 per cent of project underway;
- Progress to end long-term drinking water advisories with 14 of these advisories having been removed and 195 water and waste water capital projects across Canada are now underway;
- Creating a Global Skills Strategy;
- Creating the Invest in Canada Hub to work with global companies to increase investment that will benefit Canadians;
- Strengthening the independence of Statistics Canada and the Parliamentary Budget Officer to provide fair and unbiased evidence and analysis, and make government more open and transparent.
- Launching a Smart Cities Challenge in 2017—modelled on a similar competition in the U.S.
The statement noted that the government will continue to boost its investments in infrastructure in Indigenous communities.
It stated:
“What success looks like:
- Drinking water, waste water treatment and storm water infrastructure that meet consistently high standards across Canada and are resilient to climate change impacts.”
- Improving on-reserve water and waste water infrastructure with the aim of eliminating long-term drinking water advisories and ensuring all Canadians always have access to clean drinking water.”
Below graph charts out the government’s long-term infrastructure plan.
