PM blames Tory premiers for delays

OTTAWA • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is becoming increasingly vocal in blaming Conservative premiers for stalling a long list of infrastructure projects, part of an ongoing dispute over Ottawa’s $190-billion spending plans that has already delayed major new developments ahead of a looming federal election.

But the Conservatives are hitting back, denying they are causing delays and accusing Trudeau of forcing through legislation that will critically affect energy projects and hurt the Canadian economy. The rift plays into a larger battle between the prime minister and a newly-elected bloc of Conservative premiers on everything from carbon taxes to infrastructure spending.

Ottawa’s frustrations over the delays come as the Federation of Canadian Municipalities called on party leaders on Tuesday to commit to doubling the Gas Tax Fund in their election platforms, which would effectively give the federal government more room to sidestep the provinces and deliver infrastructure dollars directly to cities and towns. The move would make permanent a one-year doubling of the program, up to $4.4 billion, that was announced in the 2019 budget.

Ottawa has blamed provincial leaders for causing much of the delays in its spending plans, while critics contend they are part of deeper structural shortfalls. The program was spread across more than 30 federal agencies and departments, which led to sizable gaps in the reporting of which projects had been selected for funding.

Trudeau announced his roughly $190-billion spending plan as part of a 2015 campaign promise, aimed at boosting the Canadian economy by expanding roads, bridges, public transit, telecommunications lines and other infrastructure.

But frustrations have been mounting in Ottawa over delays in rolling out those plans, which federal officials claim is a direct result over dithering by provinces — particularly Quebec, Ontario and Alberta — due to a failure to approve proposed federal projects.

Earlier this month, Trudeau claimed that the office of Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has been slower to approve critical projects than the former NDP government, saying it “has not been as rapid on highlighting the infrastructure projects that it wants to see us move forward with.” “So it would be wonderful for the premiers to stop playing divisive politics and actually work collaboratively on the investments we want to make in their provinces,” he said during public comments in Edmonton.

Kenney spokesperson Harrison Fleming pushed back saying Alberta has already submitted nine projects under the federal program, and will need time to sift through the 630 projects proposed since April 2018.

“It is, however, rich that the Prime Minister would accuse anyone of slow approvals when his government forced through their ‘No More Pipelines’ law Bill C-69 which will indefinitely delay all new critical energy projects that fuel the whole Canadian economy,” he said in a statement.

In April, Trudeau also criticized Ontario Premier Doug Ford saying Ottawa was pressing the province behind the scenes to approve a long list of major projects. Ontario announced a 10-year, $30-billion infrastructure spending plan under Ford that federal officials say does not square with Ottawa’s program.

“I am now saying it very publicly that the provincial government in Ontario is letting down Ontarians,” Trudeau said during a funding announcement in Kitchener, Ont.

Projects that have not yet received provincial approval include a $100-million sports complex for the Canada Summer games, planned for construction in the Niagara region, and a $25-million twin arena facility in Sault Ste, Marie, On., according to federal infrastructure officials.

Ontario rebutted Ottawa’s claims.

“Any suggestion by the federal government that Ontario has delayed infrastructure projects is categorically, unequivocally false,” a spokesperson for Ontario infrastructure minister Laurie Scott said in a statement.

The province has approved 15 major public transit projects in Toronto and other major urban centres, spokesperson Christine Bujold said, as well as another 144 road, bridge, air and marine projects.

In May the National Post reported that two major flood mitigation projects in Montreal had been met with extended delays after not receiving approval from the provincial government, as well as a number of other major federal contributions in the province. The flood wall projects have since been approved.

Infrastructure Minister François-Philippe Champagne met with his provincial counterpart in Quebec at the time in a bid to convince the province to move ahead with a package of more than six projects, totalling hundreds of millions in federal contributions, that had also been met with delays. The province has approved just 12 projects since Premier François Legault took power in late 2018, while Ottawa has approved a total 682 projects in Quebec since 2015.