Liberals tell provinces infrastructure cash tied to helping economy, environment
OTTAWA — Provinces and territories that want a slice of new federal infrastructure money will have to prove it will accelerate economic growth, under the terms laid out by the Liberals for the government’s long-term funding program.
Projects will also have to show a benefit to the environment — reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving resiliency against natural disasters, for instance — according to the strings on $33 billion in planned federal spending over the next 11 years, the details of which were outlined Thursday in letters to the provinces and territories.
The letters also spell out an emphasis on thinking big, focusing on new projects — not renovations, as the Liberals allowed under last year’s short-term plan — and barring the provinces and territories from using federal dollars in place of their own.
Projects must meet national objectives and not just local interests.