The Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, to the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce Speech

Speech

Address by

The Honourable Amarjeet Sohi,
Minister of Infrastructure
and Communities

March 29, 2016

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Introduction

Hello everyone. Thank you for being here today. It is such an honour for me to be in my hometown of Edmonton to discuss the Budget the Government of Canada presented last week.

It has been quite an adventure since the people of Edmonton Mill Woods decided to put their trust in me last fall. I couldn't be prouder, and yet I feel so humbled, to stand here before you.

Tuesday, March 22 was a proud day for me. To be able to stand with the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance in the House of Commons to present Budget 2016 was a great moment. Because with Budget 2016, we delivered on the promise we made to Canadians. A promise to invest in our future, to support our struggling middle class and those working hard to join it.

Budget 2016 is about Canadians and it is about our country's future. It's about seniors, children, students, Indigenous peoples. It's about supporting the most vulnerable and making sure that every Canadian has an opportunity to succeed.

It offers immediate help to those who need it most, and lays the groundwork for sustained, inclusive economic growth that will create good jobs and prosperity for all Canadians.

It is one of the most progressive budgets in a long, long time.

I would like to tell you about a few measures from Budget 2016 that I am particularly proud of, but first let me explain you our fiscal approach.

Canada is in a relatively strong fiscal position. We have the capacity and the willingness to act to create long-term growth and prosperity. And now is the time to deliver it.

We have the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio of all G7 countries, giving us the opportunity to make strategic investments now that will help grow the economy well into the future.

Interest rates remain at historic lows, making now the ideal time to invest. And our highly educated workforce and our low business costs mean that Canada is well-positioned to compete globally.

But the economic challenges our country is facing today can't be solved with short-term thinking and opportunities can't be realized without smart, sustained investments.

This is why we are investing in Canadians, in our middle class, in jobs and in growth.

Canada Child Benefit and Tax Cuts for the Middle Class

A tax cut to the middle class was the first legislation we introduced as a government. This tax break will benefit 9 million Canadians. It will give them more money to support their families, leaving their hard-earned money in their own pockets, the money they will spend in their own communities to help grow the local economy and the local businesses that many of you here run.

Our simpler, tax-free and more generous Canada Child Benefit, introduced in Budget 2016, will help those who need it the most: the low-income and middle-income families. Nine out of ten families with children will receive much greater benefits than they have ever received under any previous program. This is one of the most progressive social program innovations since Universal Health Care and it will lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty. Here in Alberta, families will receive $930 million more in child benefits over the next two years. Just like with our middle class tax cut, money received under the Canada Child Benefit will be invested in the economy to help grow businesses like yours.

Indigenous Peoples

Canada cannot succeed if our Indigenous communities continue to the fall behind.

As someone who came to this country as an immigrant, I am deeply saddened by the deplorable living conditions that some Indigenous communities face in Canada.

Too many generations of Indigenous peoples have suffered from the neglect and failed policies of the federal government.

We can and must do better. Indigenous children, like all other Canadian children, should have the opportunity to realize their hopes and aspirations, and prosperity must be shared by all Canadians.

That is why Budget 2016 includes unprecedented investments in First Nations, Inuit Peoples, and the Métis Nation—a total of $8.4 billion over five years—in areas of education, health, infrastructure, and skills training.

Immigration

I am also proud of the Government of Canada's commitment to supporting new Canadians.

Now if you allow me, I will share my personal story with you. As some of you know, I came to Canada as a family-class immigrant. I came to this welcoming and inclusive country where multiculturalism was celebrated, where our linguistic, cultural and religious diversity was respected, where families were allowed to come together and unite.

But in the recent past years, something about our country's values towards diversity started changing and this is one of the main reasons that brought me to federal politics. I wanted to make a difference and be part of building once again an inclusive, vibrant, prosperous country.

That is why, under the leadership of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Immigration Minister John McCallum, we have decided to welcome 300,000 new permanent residents this year – taking steps to make sure more families can be together to build a new life for themselves in Canada and contribute to our country's prosperity. Budget 2016 will also provide $25 million this year to reduce application processing times and make family reunification a priority.

Employment Insurance

Changes to EI benefits will help Canadians who are going through a rough time. Unemployed Canadians won't have to wait for two weeks to receive the support and the benefits they deserve. New employees facing lay off will not be denied benefits.

We will extend work-sharing agreements from 38 weeks to 76 weeks to help employers and employees avoid layoffs and we will extend the Working While on Claim pilot program encouraging claimants to access available work, to supplement income while receiving EI benefits.

In addition to these changes, EI benefits will also be extended in 12 regions across Canada that have experienced the most sharp and severe increases in unemployment including three regions in Alberta.

Fortunately, Edmonton's economy has performed better compared to other regions but this doesn't mean the situation is Edmonton is not as worrying. I understand that many Edmontonians are worried; we see our friends and neighbors who struggle to make ends meet. So we will continue to monitor and review the employment situation in Edmonton and other regions that do not currently quality for this temporary relief. We empathize with Edmontonions facing difficult times and my colleague Randy Boissonnault and I will continue to advocate on their behalf.

Investing in Infrastructure

One of the things that had helped Edmonton's economy during these difficult economic times is our city's commitment to invest in infrastructure. And as the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, I am very proud of the plan we have put forward in budget 2016. Our infrastructure plan will help further accelerate economic growth and create jobs here in Edmonton and across the country and help us build strong, inclusive and sustainable communities.

Budget 2016 includes historic new investments in infrastructure totalling more than $120 billion over the next decade; which includes $60 billion in new money – for public transit, green and social infrastructure.

Infrastructure is the backbone of our economy and our society.

Well-planned investments in infrastructure generate economic growth, support communities and leave a lasting legacy for Canadians.

Previous generations knew that when they built the infrastructure that has allowed Canada to be prosperous, and now we have an obligation to our children and grandchildren to make the investments that will ensure their future prosperity.

But beyond the big numbers, infrastructure is so much more than the structures themselves – it's more than concrete and water pipes, or roads and bridges, or buses and train tracks.

Infrastructure is really about people. It is what connects Canadians to their communities and allows them to be active participants, both socially and economically.

Infrastructure is about a parent sleeping in peace knowing that their children will have clean and safe water to drink.

It's about a safe haven and a shelter for a woman fleeing domestic violence. Or clean and safe housing for someone who has no other option.

Budget 2016 will invest more than $10 billion over the next two years in the infrastructure projects Canadians need most: modern and reliable public transit, water and wastewater systems, and affordable housing. This is additional money on top of investments we will make under New Building Canada Plan and the federal Gas Tax Fund.

In order to invest immediately while laying the foundation for our long term plan for sustained growth, our infrastructure plan is designed in two phases.

Phase 1 – which is presented in Budget 2016 – will have a strong focus on recapitalization and repair of existing assets. These investments will help deal with the infrastructure deficit our cities and provinces have been facing for decades. This will allow us to invest in projects that are not only shovel-ready, but also shovel-worthy.

And with dedicated and flexible funding for data collection, asset management, planning and design work, we will enable municipalities and communities to plan ahead and be ready to build some of the largest and transformative projects in Phase 2 of our infrastructure plan.

Public Transit

Public transit is a very important focus of Phase 1 of our investments. We truly believe that mobility is key to opportunities for Canadians, as well as to building sustainable communities.

Every day, millions of Canadians rely on affordable, efficient public transportation to get to their jobs, schools, community centres and – at the end of the day – to get home.

But our transit systems are aging and investments have not kept pace with the rapid development and growth of our cities.

But what does it mean to have transit systems that are not well maintained? It means being stuck in traffic for hours, it means getting to work late or missing a meeting and it means a huge loss of productivity for our cities.

To improve and expand public transit systems across Canada, Budget 2016 proposes to provide up to $3.4 billion over three years for a new Public Transit Infrastructure Fund.

And to make the investments where they are needed the most, this $3.4 billion of Phase 1 will be allocated on the basis of ridership numbers and the federal government will contribute up to 50 percent to ease to financial burden on municipalities and property tax payers.

Green Infrastructure

Along with public transit, we have also committed to invest in Green infrastructure to help build healthier and more sustainable communities.

Green infrastructure also means building communities that are resilient to the effects of climate change.

We don't have to think far back to see the impact of climate change. We saw it here, during the 2012 floods that impacted many communities here in Edmonton, including the communities I represent in Mill Woods. That is why investing in flood mitigation is a priority for us.

Another important topic that came up constantly during our consultation with communities is water and wastewater and the urgent need to invest to repair our aging systems.

We also heard that that municipalities alone do not have the resources to meet these challenge and they need a reliable and committed partner in Ottawa.

We will be that partner. We provide $2.0 billion over four years to improve water distribution and treatment infrastructure. Once again we will contribute up to 50 percent of the funding so communities can begin this important work immediately.

Social Infrastructure

We can all understand how social infrastructure directly affects lives. Having a decent place to live and to call home is a basic need that unfortunately, even in a wealthy country like Canada, not everyone has access to.

We know that investments in social housing create jobs and opportunities, but it also builds stronger communities and safe facilities for children to learn and play, and ultimately to have a good start in life.

When I visited the social housing project in Mill Woods earlier this year, I was impressed by the passion of the people who work so hard to give back to those who need it most.

But they also need a reliable and committed partner in Ottawa.

Budget 2016 will provide $3.4 billion over five years for affordable housing, early learning and child care, cultural and recreational infrastructure, and community health care facilities on reserves.

Along with these investments, we will also undertake nation-wide consultations in the coming year to develop a National Housing Strategy so that future federal investments have the greatest possible impact.

Innovation and Post-Secondary Education

With Budget 2016, infrastructure also contributes to another ambitious goal: to build Canada as a centre of global innovation.

To become the innovation leaders of tomorrow, we must equip Canadians today with the skills they will need to succeed.

Post-secondary and other research institutions are front-line agents in fostering science and research excellence. To ensure these facilities continue to support our researchers and innovators, Budget 2016 will invest up to $2 billion over three years in a new Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund.

Conclusion

My friends, Budget 2016 is only the first step of an ambitious plan we have for Canada and for Canadians.

We consulted, we listened and we heard. But it's only the beginning and we will want to hear from you even more in the coming months. Today is our first conversation as we start to build together a long term plan for our economy and for our communities.

Thank you for having me and I look forward to many more productive meetings and discussions in the future.

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