McKenna: feds to approve projects quickly, but respecting priorities
As a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government is considering new ways to be quicker and more flexible with infrastructure delivery.
That was one of the messages federal Minister of Infrastructure and Communities Catherine McKenna delivered in an online talk with Canadian Construction Association (CCA) president Mary Van Buren. The discussion was part of the Un-Conference series of webinars released by the CCA on June 15 as a way of delivering some of the ideas and information the association had planned for its annual convention.
Van Buren asked McKenna how the COVID pandemic has changed the federal infrastructure ministry’s priorities. McKenna said that, pre-pandemic, her department was focused on three outcomes: getting projects built quickly and in partnership with provinces, territories and municipalities; building infrastructure projects that improve the lives of Canadians; and building in a way that is resilient to climate change.
The pandemic has forced the ministry to adjust somewhat.
“Our priority now is to approve projects quickly, and get shovel-worthy projects going so we can create jobs and get people back to work, recognizing the challenges and pressures on the construction industry to keep things safe,” said McKenna. “And we have to adjust our funding streams to make them more flexible. We have to consider how infrastructure should be re-tooled to respond to the pandemic, and we have to work with the provinces and territories to use existing funding to move forward.”
She added, however, that the need to act quickly will not compromise other public policy priorities. Consideration for climate resiliency, for example, will always be a factor. As will building projects that meet Canadians’ needs for things like physical distancing and current broadband technology.
Van Buren asked about any forthcoming plans by the federal government to create a long-term national infrastructure spending plan—one that spans as many as 25 years. McKenna agreed that a coordinated, national approach is needed to flatten the boom and bust cycles of spending, but challenges to such a program remain. One is setting goals for the program, another is being mindful of value for money.
“Government can’t pay for all these projects by itself,” she added. “We have to find projects that allow us to partner with the private sector.”
She pointed to the work being done by the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) to find those projects that can be developed in a way that yields the greatest outcomes.
Van Buren asked whether CIB has a role to play also in de-risking innovation and potentially moving government away from choosing project bidders primarily on low-cost bases. McKenna agreed that part of the bank’s work will be to focus on those projects that create the best outcomes for Canadians, not those that are least expensive to build.
Finally, Van Buren asked about those steps Infrastructure Canada will take to streamline public procurement. McKenna said that elements such as climate-change resilience, community benefits, and duties to consult with Indigenous peoples are important public-policy goals for the government. As such, they will not change. But, she added, the processes to achieve any of these does not have to be onerous.
“We’re reviewing these requirements now to work out how to make them as user friendly and as quick as possible, while still making them meaningful,” she said.