Budget 2022 ‘missed the mark’ on infrastructure programming: CCA
Last week’s federal budget “missed the mark” when it came to restoring infrastructure, the Canadian Construction Association (CCA) said in a recent release.
While the association applauded an investment of more than $183 million over seven years that companies can use to develop new construction materials and revitalize building standards to encourage low-carbon construction solution, it said the budget stopped well short of providing a plan to address aging infrastructure and future needs.
“An investment in infrastructure is an investment in Canada’s growth economy and in the well-being of Canadians,” said CCA president Mary Van Buren. “Infrastructure builds schools for our kids and the hospitals that care for us, keeps our water clean and our homes heated, and maintains the roads, bridges and trade corridors that connect our communities not only to each other but also to the global marketplace.”
The association says Canada is slipping in terms of global trade infrastructure, adding that it must scale up its trade infrastructure to build supply chain capacity, support green innovation and emerging technologies, create transformational jobs, and fuel global competitiveness.
It points to the Western Canada Trade Gateways and Corridors Initiative (WCTGCI) as an example of a program that would boost domestic and international trade and bring both public and private investments to Western Canada’s trade transportation network. The economy needs reliable infrastructure to connect supply chains and efficiently move goods and services across borders.
“The Federal Budget needed to focus on public policies that would increase Canada’s economic resilience to ongoing and future threats,” says the association. “This includes a consistent and long-term infrastructure investment plan that benefits all Canadians and is aligned with the current and future needs of the provinces; contracting that supports fair competition, innovation and shared risk; and developing a pipeline of skilled and talented workers.”