Statement by Canada’s Infrastructure Minister on the Office of the Auditor General’s report on Canada’s infrastructure plan

Ottawa, Ontario, March 25, 2021 — Today, the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Canada’s Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, made the following statement about the release of the Auditor General’s report on the Investing in Canada plan, the Government of Canada’s long-term infrastructure plan:

“First and foremost, I thank the Auditor General for her report.

“Through the Investing in Canada Plan, the Government of Canada committed over $180 billion over 12 years for infrastructure that benefits Canadians – from public transit to trading ports, broadband networks to energy systems, community services to natural spaces. Five years into the Plan, we have already invested $81 billion in over 67,000 projects, 90% of them completed or underway.

“The Auditor General’s review of the Plan says that we need to do a better job of showing our work, and I agree. Talk to any mayor or city councillor across this country about how these projects are improving lives in their community -- from Canadian-made electric buses in Brampton, Ont., to the new McLoughlin Point waste water treatment plant on Vancouver Island, to the net-zero aquatic centre in Drayton Valley, Alta., to new high speed internet in Eskasoni First Nation in Cape Breton. I see these and other successes every day, and I appreciate that Canadians must be able to see the benefits of their hard-earned tax dollars.

“Since I’ve been in this job, my goal has been to not only ensure multiple benefits from every dollar spent, but also to get projects approved quickly. Through Infrastructure Canada’s program delivered with provinces and territories, over the past year I have approved 2,300 projects, which is more than 3 times the year prior. Accelerating project approvals and delivery is critical during the pandemic and for restarting our economy.

“But we can’t just build back better, we have to build back smarter. That’s why we launched engagement on Canada’s first-ever National Infrastructure Assessment. We will rely on experts, data and evidence to identify Canada’s infrastructure needs and priorities. By focusing on outcomes, we can continue using our infrastructure investments to promote economic growth, improve quality of life for all Canadians and drive towards a net-zero emissions future by 2050.”