‘I’m a pretty impatient minister’: Champagne says he’d like infrastructure money doled out faster, but feds are improving
The federal government has responded to concerns about infrastructure money not getting out the door fast enough, says Infrastructure Minister François-Philippe Champagne. The process can always be improved, and while some delays have been out of federal hands, Mr. Champagne (Saint-Maurice-Champlain, Que.) said, he’s overseen some changes since coming to the job last summer that […]
Territories spent less on infrastructure than without feds’ funding boost: PBO report
The territories spent $111-million less on infrastructure projects in the past two fiscal years than they would have without the federal government’s funding boost, according to a report released April 9 by the parliamentary budget officer. For every federal infrastructure dollar that, on average, they received, the three northern territories spent $3.70 in 2017-2018, a […]
On infrastructure, Kermit’s right: it’s not easy being green
Those who grew up with Sesame Street know this song by Kermit the Frog lamenting being green. Kermit sang long before green referred to the environment and well before being green was cool. Now, the word “green” is everywhere, from green energy to green growth to green infrastructure. But has it become easy to be […]
Mind the gap? Let’s look at defining urban infrastructure investment differently
You drove to work swerving around potholes, taking a different exit because of construction, only to find yourself stuck in a traffic jam that didn’t get better because a train was crossing the street in slow motion, and you’ve ended up at a parkade with restricted access due to “improvements in customer service.” An infrastructure […]
How to get more women in top diplomatic posts? Show them what it’s like
The French writer Stendhal once said: “A vocation is having one’s passion as a profession.” Since joining France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, I have not once regretted choosing this enriching and stimulating profession, with its daily dose of challenges and victories in an increasingly complicated international context. I can therefore say that being […]
‘We don’t know why it’s taken so long’: critics question the wait on federal-provincial housing agreements
Housing critics are questioning why the government is taking so long to finalize the cost-sharing housing agreements with provinces, since it’s been more than a year since the unveiling of the Liberals’ National Housing Strategy. But many of the accords are on the cusp of an announcement, says Liberal MP Adam Vaughan (Spadina–Fort York, Ont.), […]
Infrastructure
How to turn a good idea into a big mess
It’s tax season. Suppose the Canada Revenue Agency owed you $2,000 but instead of giving you the money, it offered you 20 gift certificates that it chose without consulting you: $50 for chicken, $80 for books, $100 in bus tickets, and so on. Don’t need chicken? Too bad! The gift certificates are not transferable. That’s […]
Pre-budget focus, Hill days sustain steady February lobbying
The budget and finance focus of much of the lobbying in February reflected the last-minute push for many groups to get consideration in the Liberals’ fourth and final budget of their mandate. Combined, the budget and finance accounted for 477 subject-matter mentions in the lobbying registry filings, leading international trade (391), health (349), agriculture (341), […]
American exceptionalism: applying a 19th-century belief to the 21st century
Last week, I was in California, a state I had never visited. The trip was a respite from the long Ottawa winter. And while San Francisco was a bit chilly, the choice to go there over a much warmer Florida was simple: California is a state held by the Democratic Party. Travelling to the site […]
