OTTAWA – Elizabeth May, Green Party Leader and Member of Parliament for Saanich – Gulf Islands, endorsed Kathleen Wynne’s call for an increase in federal infrastructure funding.
“I completely support Premier Wynne’s call to increase infrastructure funding and I urge Prime Minister Harper to act immediately,” Elizabeth May said. “Provinces, territories and municipalities have been saying for many years that they need adequate funding to ensure that Canada’s infrastructure requirements are met. We are rapidly falling behind as a nation and that is not acceptable.”
During a Canada 2020 Luncheon held on January 20th in Ottawa, Premier Wynne called on all levels of government to invest approximately $100 billion a year to close Canada’s infrastructure gap.
Ms. Wynne will discuss infrastructure funding at the 2015 Winter Meeting of Canada’s Premiers.
“Investing in Canada’s infrastructure is sound economic policy that increases productivity and leads to more jobs,” Erich Jacoby-Hawkins, Green Party National Revenue and Ecological Fiscal Reform Critic, added. “For example, we need to reduce the impacts that traffic gridlock has on productivity. The federal government must commit to more funding on infrastructure – it’s a wise investment.”
“Canada’s economy relies on the continued health of our roads, bridges, and waterways so that goods and capital can reach the market,” Ms. May concluded. “All party leaders need to work together to make sure that infrastructure is properly funded.”