Fall update may include measures to help economy

OTTAWA — The Trudeau government is considering using this fall’s economic and fiscal update as a vehicle to inject some life into Canada’s stalled economy, including potentially fast-forwarding billions in planned infrastructure spending.

Government insiders, however, say it would be an overstatement at this point to call the autumn update a mini-budget — though it might yet morph into that.

Sources say Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Finance Minister Bill Morneau have had only a preliminary discussion so far about a range of measures which would ordinarily wait until next year’s federal budget, but which could be ready in time for inclusion in the fall document.

The federal updates typically contain little more than fresh economic and fiscal projections, although occasionally they have included budgetary measures in the past.

The fall statement, expected in late November or early December, will be released near the end of a year that has seen the economy stuck in a slow-growth rut.

No concrete decisions have yet been made, but measures under consideration include an early launch of the second phase of the government’s planned $60-billion, 10-year infrastructure program.

Morneau’s inaugural budget last March included $11.9 billion over five years for the first, shortterm phase of the program, the money from which has only just started flowing and is aimed at fundamental projects such as public transit, water and wastewater system upgrades.

The second phase of the program is to commit the remaining $48.1 billion to more ambitious, economically strategic projects that are supposed to bring about “transformative change,” including helping Canada make the transition to a low-carbon economy.