Infrastructure
Monday the Transport Minister of the Government of Canada announced plans to spend
at least $7 billion on new infrastructure projects including roads, bridges, water and sewer systems, as well as transit, as part of an economic stimulus package. The Minister outlined how the money will be allocated to different types of projects.
* $4 billion for an infrastructure stimulus fund to help provinces, territories and municipalities.
* $2 billion for repairs and construction of colleges and universities.
* $1 billion for sustainable green infrastructure projects.
In Ontario the Provincial Government has already initiated a $30 billion, five-year plan to invest in public infrastructure.
Cleaner Energy
In yesterday's Speech from the Throne, the government promised to support the development of cleaner energy sources including natural gas in Canada’s North and nuclear energy. The Government promised to ensure that Canada’s regulatory framework is ready to respond to new provincial nuclear projects.
Climate Change
The government also promised to address climate change including reducing Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2020. The government plans to work with provincial governments and others to develop and implement a North America-wide cap and trade system for greenhouse gases. The government plans to set an objective that 90 percent of Canada’s electricity needs will be provided by non-emitting sources such as hydro, nuclear, clean coal or wind power by 2020.
In addition the Government plans to bring in legislation to ban all bulk water transfers or exports from Canadian freshwater basins.
More details are expected in the budget which will be tabled Tuesday.
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