Trudeau releases mandate letters - Federal roadmap

NRU
Nov. 18, 2015

Last week mandate letters from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to members of his cabinet were publicly released outlining the government’s key priorities for the next four years. Thirty letters were released as part of Trudeau’s plan to improve government transparency.

With significant infrastructure needs in the Greater Toronto Area, municipal politicians want the federal government to play a larger financial role in future projects. A core group of federal ministries have been instructed to work with local municipalities on issues relating to transit, infrastructure, affordable housing and preparing for climate change.

Infrastructure and Communities minister Amarjeet Sohi’s priority is to rebuild Canada through new investments in public transit, green infrastructure and social infrastructure, including affordable housing. His mandate also includes investment in infrastructure to improve trade and economic growth. Sohi is to work collaboratively with provincial, territorial and municipal governments to develop infrastructure investment plans.

Sohi is directed to create a 10-year plan to deliver new funding to provinces and municipalities. That plan is to focuses on public transit, social infrastructure (such as affordable housing, seniors’ facilities, and cultural and regional infrastructure), green infrastructure (including local water and wastewater facilities, clean energy and climate resilient infrastructure). The plan is intended to deliver both immediate infrastructure investments and long-term, predictable funding to improve program access and governance, increase data collection capacity and promote better asset management.

Sohi’s mandate includes working with Transport minister Marc Garneau to adapt and deliver a newly focused Building Canada Fund. The result is to be a fund that is more transparent and able to deliver quick approvals. Changes are to include removing the P3 screen for projects.

Sohi and Finance minister Bill Morneau are to work together to ensure unspent infrastructure funds are automatically transferred to municipalities through a temporary top-up of the Gas Tax Fund. They are directed to establish the Canadian Infrastructure Bank to provide low-cost financing for new municipal projects in priority investment areas. This new institution is intended to make it easier and more affordable for municipalities to finance infrastructure projects.

Sohi is to work with Families, Children and Social Development minister Jean-Yves Duclos to create a national housing strategy and re-establish the federal role in supporting affordable housing.

As the minister responsible for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Duclos is to support municipal construction of affordable housing units and refurbishment of existing ones. He is also to support, municipalities in maintaining rent-geared-to-income subsidies for co-ops and Housing First initiatives. Duclos is to work with Public Services and Procurement minister Judy Foote to inventory available federal lands and buildings that could be repurposed. Some of these lands are to be made available at low cost, or no cost, for affordable housing.

Environment and Climate Change minister Catherine McKenna has been directed to implement the government’s plan for a clean environment and a sustainable economy and to restore Canada’s reputation for environmental stewardship. She is to ensure the government provides national leadership in reducing emissions, combatting climate change and pricing carbon.

McKenna is to work with her provincial and territorial counterparts to develop a plan to combat climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In his letter, Trudeau acknowledges that a greater than two-degree increase in average global temperatures would have a catastrophic impact and come with great economic costs. McKenna is to work with Morneau to phase out fossil fuel industry subsidies.

Programs and services are to be developed so that more Canadians can experience the country’s national parks. Beginning in 2018, admission for children under 18 will be free and new Canadian citizens will receive free admission for a year. McKenna is to work with the Ontario government to enhance Rouge National Park and improve legislation to protect its ecosystem and guide park management.

Innovation, Science and Economic Development minister Navdeep Bains has already announced that the long-form census will be restored, a directive in his mandate letter. He has also been asked to develop an Open Data initiative to improve the quality of public available data. Also, Bains is to create an innovation agenda to expand support to incubators and accelerators to target growth sectors and attract investment.

The letters illustrate the federal government’s commitment to improving partnerships with provincial, territorial and municipal governments. By highlighting each minister’s priorities over the next four years the letters offer an opportunity for municipal leaders in the GTHA to track progress on the feds urban agenda.