Morneau urges caution on infrastructure

• The f i nance minister would like to see billions in new federal infrastructure money flow faster to provinces and cities, but Bill Morneau says that moving too fast would risk wasting money.

The federal Liberals have come under heavy criticism from the parliamentary budget watchdog for the pace of infrastructure spending that the government sees as a pillar of its strategy to spur economic growth and help pay for deep deficits.

Morneau said the Liberals have approved about 1,300 projects with a total value of about $6 billion — and more are being reviewed.

“When we get criticized for not making the investments quickly enough, I listen and I think we have to make sure we do get at it quickly,” Morneau said during an interview with Huff- ington Post Canada broadcast live on Facebook.

“But I will tell you that we would get criticized a whole lot more if we made the investments too fast and wasted money, so we’re not going to do that.”

Wednesday ’ s budget showed only between 50 and 75 per cent of the infrastructure money was on track to be spent this fiscal year, which ends next week.