Note from our Editor: Infrastructure News emailed a survey to the national political parties, asking for their response to infrastructure related issues.

We told all parties that we would reprint their responses in their entirety.

We contacted the NDP, via email, webmail and voicemail, yet they have not responded. Should they choose to respond, we'll include their answers in a later issue.

Legend:

Conservative Party                                       New Democratic Party
    Bloc Quebecois                                             Green Party
   Liberal Party

- The Conservative Party of Canada recognizes that Canada is facing a $60 billion deficit in infrastructure. This deficit was created by 12 years of Liberal budgets that slashed funding to municipalities and infrastructure spending.

- Certainly. Canada's utility and transport infrastructures are creating higher and higher health, environmental and economic costs to society. Further, rural communities are facing a host of new challenges such as water safety that need to be addressed with greater investment and regulations. The Green Party is planning for sustainability, which means building durable infrastructure for future health and shared prosperity.

- Pendant plusieurs années, le gouvernement fédéral a négligé le financement des infrastructures. Dans une étude publiée au printemps 2003, le Conference Board du Canada concluait que 17,9 milliards $ étaient nécessaires pour la mise à niveau des infrastructures québécoises sur une période de quinze années. Entre 1994 et 2003, le gouvernement fédéral n'a investi que 1,15 milliard $ dans les infrastructures municipales au Québec. Les infrastructures municipales du Québec requièrent donc de façon urgente des investissements importants en raison de leur état de détérioration parfois avancé.

- The Conservative Party of Canada will address that deficit over the long term (15-20 years) by providing long-term, stable funding for municipalities and infrastructure. Unlike the Liberals, we will not introduce one-off 5-year programs and then claim that is sufficient to address this serious infrastructure deficit.

- The federal government must work with the provinces and municipalities to map out a new strategy. Greem Party MPs would work to create new funding networks for local energy and transportation services and would redirect a greater share of federal tax revenues toward municipal needs.

- Les difficultés financières des municipalités constituent un reflet du déséquilibre fiscal, auquel sont confrontés le Québec et les provinces. Pour le Bloc Québécois, la solution aux problèmes budgétaires des municipalités passe par la solution au problème du déséquilibre fiscal entre le fédéral, le Québec et les provinces. Cela permettra au Québec et à ses municipalités de réinvestir dans les infrastructures et de combler ce déficit.

- The Liberal government is committed to addressing Canada’s infrastructure deficit. The New Deal for Communities is a hallmark of this effort. Accomplishments under our New Deal include:

3) If elected, what programs would you create or encourage to handle infrastructure needs?

- Stephen Harper has stated his unequivocal support for existing infrastructure programs including the gas tax deals recently signed with the provinces. He has even said that a Conservative government would enhance these funds. Additionally, the Conservative party will look at other infrastructure needs such as border crossings and airports that need additional investment for the economy of the 21st century. The Conservative Party also supports a national highway strategy which would link Canada with a first class Trans-Canada Highway.

- The Green Party supports "smart-growth" transport-oriented development (TOD) to encourage the redesign of urban areas and towns into walkable communities linked by transit to reduce the need for automobile ownership.

- Le Bloc Québécois propose la création d’un nouveau programme d’infrastructures sur dix ans, doté d’une enveloppe initiale de 2,3 milliards $ sur trois ans et d’une enveloppe de 1 milliard $ par année au bout de la troisième année. Le Bloc Québécois réclame que tout financement fédéral envers les municipalités se fasse dans le respect des champs de compétence du gouvernement du Québec qui demeurera le maître d’œuvre des programmes d’infrastructures.

- The Liberal government has supported the $4 billion Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund, the $1 billion Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund, the $2.05 billion Infrastructure Canada Program, the $600 million Border Infrastructure Fund, and $300 million in new federal support for Green Municipal Funds. Since 2000, Green Municipal Funds have leveraged well over $1 billion in municipally-based environmental projects. Half of this new funding has been targeted to the clean-up of brownfields.

- Le Bloc Québécois a pour priorité le règlement du déséquilibre fiscal puisque celui-ci empêche le Québec et les provinces – de même que le monde municipal – de disposer des ressources suffisantes pour financer adéquatement les services à la population qui relèvent de leurs propres responsabilités.

- The Conservative Party of Canada sees infrastructure as necessary to the growth of the Canadian economy. For example, by investing in our highways, cross-border infrastructure, and municipalities, the result will be greater trade and increased productivity.

- The land-use models of the last fifty years have put Canada and much of the Western world on a dead-end path that is leading to climate change and pollution. These in turn are having adverse effects upon our health and the environment. It is the responsibility of politicians today to reverse the trend and change the course of development towards more sustainable options. The tide in attitude is changing so we must act now to redevelop aging infrastructure with alternatives that will enable us to enter the post-oil economy effectively and affordably.

- L'essor économique d'une société et la qualité de vie de sa population reposent sur des infrastructures en bon état : routes, production et distribution de l'eau potable, collecte et assainissement des eaux usées, etc. Dans plusieurs municipalités, ces installations requièrent de façon urgente des investissements importants en raison de leur état de détérioration parfois avancé.

- Infrastructure is a consistent priority for our government. The Liberal government has made significant investments in Canada’s infrastructure. Since 1993, we invested $12 billion toward infrastructure investments to create sustainable communities. We will continue working with our provincial and municipal counterparts to meet the needs of large and small communities across the country.

As well, the Liberal government will build on our successful development agreements with Winnipeg and Vancouver, using them as models to extend co-operative partnerships among the federal, provincial and municipal levels of government. We will also work co-operatively with provinces and municipalities on the goal of eventually eliminating the infrastructure deficit.

The New Deal is about this forward-looking new partnership. We want our cities and communities to be the best in the world – desirable destinations for travellers, immigrants or investors and great places to call home.

A Liberal government will continue to formally include municipal representatives in our pre-budget consultations.

6) Is your party in favour of a set of nationally recognized best practices for water and waste water systems?

- The Conservative Party of Canada supports local municipalities when it comes to the treatment of our potable water. Through our investment in infrastructure, we will provide money to municipalities to enhance their portable water and sewage systems to bring them up to provincial code.

We believe that it is not up to the federal government to make decisions for local municipal governments.

- Yes. Green Party MPs will work to ensure clean drinking water for all Canadian communities by 2008. To achieve this objective, the Green Party would amend the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to enshrine the right of future Canadians to an ecological heritage that includes breathable air and drinkable water. The Green Party would also establish dedicated federal-provincial-municipal funding arrangements to support municipal wastewater management and safe water supplies.

- Nous partageons les inquiétudes des citoyennes et des citoyens à l’égard des infrastructures d’aqueduc et de traitement des eaux usées. C’est pourquoi le Bloc Québécois considère que le Québec, qui a une juridiction exclusive en matière d’affaires municipales sur son territoire, est le mieux placé pour élaborer et faire respecter les normes applicables dans les différentes municipalités.

Yes. The Liberal government has invested in the Guide for Sustainable Municipal Infrastructure – the Infraguide – a joint project with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), the National Research Council (NRC), and Infrastructure Canada. The first phase of the project, a four-year $12.5-million investment has now been completed, and a second phase has been initiated. Infraguide best practices on water and wastewater have been made available at http://www.infraguide.ca/bestPractices/default_e.asp#pw.

A key focus of InfraGuide is to involve municipalities in the nation-wide sharing of knowledge and expertise. Municipalities have been responding to surveys that help set priorities and establish the database of current infrastructure practices. A survey of municipal needs is currently being conducted by the Canadian Society for Civil Engineers (CSCE), and municipal politicians and staff are asked to visit the CSCE web site at www.csce.ca to participate.

7) In general, where do Canada’s municipalities stand to improve when it comes to municipal infrastructure performance?

- The Conservative Party of Canada will allow municipal governments greater flexibility when it comes to setting their infrastructure priorities. We will take the politics out of approving municipal projects.

- In front. While municipal governments are on the front lines of climate change and air pollution, they are also positioned well to facilitate economic competition and engage with citizens and community groups. There is a great opportunity for municipalities to help design a new Canada and the Green Party is ready to support their new role.

- Le gouvernement fédéral s’est enfin décidé à investir dans le renouvellement des infrastructures par le biais du transfert de la taxe sur l’essence. Ses efforts ne doivent cependant pas s’arrêter là. Le Québec et les provinces doivent pouvoir bénéficier d’un nouveau programme en matière d’infrastructure qui leur offrira un financement prévisible et récurrent.

Tout financement fédéral envers les municipalités doit se faire dans le respect des champs de juridiction du gouvernement du Québec, qui doit demeurer le maître d’œuvre des programmes d’infrastructures.

- The Conservative Party of Canada will support local infrastructure initiatives and not have Ottawa dictate what should be done or not done at the local level. This is in stark contrast to the Liberals who have prevented cities like Winnipeg from fixing their roads and have instead used infrastructure funds to pay for pork-barrel projects in Liberal ridings.

- Our homes and industries use more water and waste more energy than any other country on the planet. Water pollution, notably the E. Coli tragedies of Walkerton and Kashechewan, is threatening Canadians' access to safe and clean drinking water. The Green Party would establish dedicated federal-provincial-municipal funding arrangements to support municipal wastewater management and safe water supplies. The Green Party would also address energy inefficiency through a host of initiatives that include expanding energy conservation strategies as a cheaper alternative to new power plants and working with provinces and municipalities to promote and support alternative energy initiatives such as sewage co-generation.

- Dans ses champs de compétence, le gouvernement fédéral doit rapidement investir pour rénover les infrastructures portuaires qui, depuis trop longtemps, ont été mal entretenues. Il doit également s’assurer que les petits aéroports, qui sont vitaux pour les régions, soient en mesure de maintenir leurs services. Enfin, le gouvernement fédéral doit obliger l’exploitant d’une ligne de chemin de fer commerciale, lorsque celui-ci l’abandonne, à l’offrir à un organisme de transport en commun, et, notamment, en priorité aux municipalités.

- The Liberal government’s New Deal is a national effort aimed at finding local solutions. The Liberal government believes it necessary to work together with other levels of government, to ensure that our efforts are complementary, responsive to local needs and consistent with shared objectives. Our New Deal for Cities and Communities is about more than just money; it is about a new partnership with municipalities and their governments. It is about giving municipalities a seat at the national table as a full partner- to work with us to shape national policy that affects them, in areas such as immigration, housing, child care and the environment.

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Veso Sobot, P.Eng.
Director, Corporate Affairs
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