ACEC launches election advocacy campaign
The Association of Consulting Engineering Companies-Canada (ACEC) officially launched its advocacy campaign for the federal election on August 25. The association says it will engage with federal candidates from all the major parties and encouraging them to make infrastructure investments a priority in their election platforms.
The campaign, entitled Infrastructure: Prosperity by Design, includes ACEC’s election website, InvestInfrastructure.ca. The site provides information on the importance of leveraging infrastructure to develop a strong economic and environmental vision for Canada’s recovery.
ACEC says there is a unique opportunity to rethink Canada’s vision and approach to infrastructure as the country emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic. This vision can be achieved in part through initiatives such as the proposed National Infrastructure Assessment.
Accelerating existing infrastructure commitments can also help address more immediate infrastructure needs. Decades of studies and experience demonstrate that infrastructure has the potential to contribute both to Canada’s long-term prosperity while also stimulating the economy immediately during the COVID-induced economic downturn.
The InvestInfrastructure.ca site also allows ACEC members and interested stakeholders to send letters to all candidates in their riding, including incumbent Members of Parliament. The site also includes more information on ACEC, the association’s election priorities, and several background documents on all parties’ policy positions relating to ACEC’s priorities, which will be featured as the platforms are released.
ACEC will also post an analysis of party platform announcements relating to infrastructure and issues of importance to the consulting engineering sector.
“This election is especially important because the next Parliament will make critical decisions on how Canada will recover and prosper as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said ACEC president and CEO John Gamble. “In balancing the needs for immediate stimulus and a long-term vision for our economy and environment, investing in infrastructure has a proven return on investment that governments can rely on. We hope to see any elected government come in with an understanding of how important it is to provide infrastructure programs that are timely, consistent, and predictable with a priority placed on the rapid delivery of funding – that approach to infrastructure will design Canada’s future prosperity.”