Alberta Urban Municipalities Association Forum

June 16, 2006

Calgary - Thank you (for intro).

It’s a great pleasure to be here today on behalf of Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities.

The Minister couldn’t be here today and he asked me to bring greetings.

Your theme, “Just Imagine: the President’s Summit on Municipal Sustainability” is very much in line with what we are doing in Ottawa.

The new portfolio of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, which I am proud to represent,
is bringing a more integrated approach to the way we work with our colleagues in government –
not only at the national, provincial and territorial levels, but at the municipal level as well, through our partners such as the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association.  

One of our goals is to ensure that Canada has the kind of infrastructure – transportation, transit, environmental, such as water and wastewater treatment facilities, recreational and cultural – that we need to keep our country competitive internationally and to provide a sustainable, high quality of life for our citizens and communities.

Together, we need to see infrastructure not as a capital expense, but instead as an investment that supports our goals – A means to an end.

As municipal leaders, you know that we are not simply paying to build facilities or to construct roads or to forge public transit routes.

These new facilities, these new roads, these better public transit systems are investments that deliver better services, healthier communities, and better opportunities for our citizens.

And, if we look at the work you have been doing on Integrated Community Sustainability Plans – ICSPs as they are called – I think it’s safe to say that we share the same goals.

That’s why I’m very happy to be here today to talk to you about what we are doing in Ottawa and to talk about how, through our common work, we help ensure the long-term sustainability of communities.

Setting the course in Ottawa.

Since taking office in Ottawa, the Prime Minister has set a clear course for our government.

He has led a systematic effort to deliver on each of the five priorities we campaigned on and that the Canadian people expect us to fulfill.

A first order of business was to introduce a new federal Accountability Act.

We pledged to clean up government and we are determined to do just that.

We also pledged to: Lower taxes for working Canadians; starting by reducing the GST, which is happening July 1; protect Canadian families and communities by strengthening the justice system.
As part of this commitment, the Prime Minister recently announced the introduction of legislation to crack down on street racing; Support parents’ child care choices through direct assistance and by creating more daycare spaces – Budget 2006 contains clear and concrete measures, including a tax credit to parents of children under the age of six;  see that Canadians receive the health care they need, when they need it, by addressing the fiscal imbalance and establishing a patient wait times guarantee with the provinces.

These issues are important to us as a national government.

They’re important to our colleagues at the provincial and territorial orders of government and they’re important to you in municipal government.

But most of all they’re important to all Canadians. 

Let’s face it, as elected politicians, we might have different constitutional mandates, but we are all serving the same citizens.

Their priorities are our priorities.

As those of us in public life are so often reminded – and I very much keep in mind every day – there’s only one taxpayer.

As the people on the front lines of government, you are the closest to those taxpayers.
You are the ones who usually get the calls when citizens don’t receive the services they expect.

Our government understands and recognizes the key role that municipalities play in the lives of our citizens.

In fact, we are benefiting from the first-hand experience of Minister Cannon, who, prior to stepping into the federal political arena, was a municipal councilor in two Quebec communities and the president of a transit authority.

We also understand the fiscal pressures you face.

From the Prime Minister on down, we are committed to working with you so that we can all achieve the goals we share.

The Budget

The recent federal Budget is a good case in point.

It’s a good budget for municipalities. In fact, I would even say it’s a good budget for community sustainability. It includes: unprecedented funding for infrastructure; funding for immigrant settlement and support, because we know that municipalities, particularly larger ones, attract most of our immigrant population; funding to tackle crime, which will contribute to safe and secure communities; and  funding for affordable housing and for the environment. 

We all know that communities that have high quality infrastructure, that are safer and that provide social and recreational infrastructure attract investments and businesses which generate jobs.

They attract and retain residents, because they offer what’s needed to improve the quality of life.

This budget shows that the Harper government is listening and working on providing stable, long-term funding for cities and communities.

That we are working on community sustainability.

Let’s look at some specifics.

And if some of you heard this from the Minister at FCM, please bear with me. Good news is worth repeating.

The budget provides $16.5 billion for infrastructure investments over the next four years.

This is an unprecedented level of funding for infrastructure by any government in recent history.

It provides $2.4 billion to the newly created Highways and Borders Infrastructure Fund.

It sets aside another $2 billion for the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund in order to provide investments in major projects with significant local or regional impact.

Through this fund, we are currently providing up to $50 million to upgrade the Trans-Canada Highway between the Icefields Parkway Interchange and Lake Louise in Banff National Park, and a total of $150 million ($75 million each) for the Calgary and Edmonton ring roads. 

And the Budget renews the Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund with an injection of $2.2 billion.

The current Canada-Alberta Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund – or CAMRIF – was launched in April. Under this initiative, the Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta are jointly investing a total of $176 million in public infrastructure in partnership with Alberta’s municipalities.

With matching municipal contributions, the fund has a total potential value of $264 million.

The CAMRIF partnership is an excellent example of what can be done when governments work cooperatively to meet the needs of our citizens. 

And it is more good news for the future of Alberta’s communities.

The 2006 federal budget also maintains the gas tax transfer – the equivalent of 5 cents a litre, worth $5 billion over five years.

That is more than $476 million over 5 years that Alberta communities can invest without matching the dollars!

And we’re continuing the 100 per cent GST rebates to municipal governments.

But that’s not all our government is doing for Canadian communities.

We know that safety and security are also a priority for you and your constituents.

So $161 million is now budgeted to hire 1,000 new RCMP officers and federal prosecutors.

We’re also investing $50 million in programs aimed at preventing young people from succumbing to crime in the first place.

Our government is also investing in affordable housing, another big sustainability issue for many Canadian cities and communities.

The budget dedicated up to $800 million to meet the growing demand for affordable housing in our cities.

And up to $300 million is targeted specifically at improving housing for Aboriginal Canadians who live off-reserve.

We are also providing $300 million to the Northern Housing Trust to support investments to increase the supply of affordable housing in the north.

An equal amount will go to meet the acute housing shortages of natives who live on reserves.

And the needs of Aboriginal communities for improved water and sanitation services can also be addressed by the Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund.

We’re reaching out so that all Canadians – urban or rural, aboriginal or non-aboriginal – can share in the benefits of federal investments.

We’ve also heard the message from communities right across Canada about the need for more investment in urban transit.

Many of our larger cities in particular are concerned about growing traffic congestion and the impact of tail pipe emissions on our air quality.

They want to get more people out of their cars and onto public transit. So do we.
That’s why our government introduced a $1.1 billion tax credit to encourage the purchase and use of public transit passes by those who use the bus, subway and light rail trains.

That’s why we budgeted up to $1.3 billion in public transit projects through the Public Transit Fund and the Public Transit Capital.

And that’s one of the reasons we remain committed to delivering the federal Gas Tax Fund.

Several cities, including Calgary and Edmonton, have said they will use a portion of gas tax funding for public transit.

These latest measures represent significant new investments that respond to one of the key concerns we are hearing from our big city mayors – that is, urban traffic congestion and a consequent deterioration in air quality.  This is not funding for traditional infrastructure programs – these amounts go above and beyond those commitments.

These historic sums are intended to help reestablish fiscal balance.

The tax credit, transit funding and federal gas tax will all put funding in the hands of those who have to get the job done – municipal governments delivering public transit in their communities.

Integrated Portfolio

So what does all this mean for you as the members of this Association - and for Canadians right across the country?

The measures I have highlighted today represent some of the most important investments the federal government has ever made in the quality of life in our cities and communities,
and the competitiveness and sustainability of Canada’s economy.

We also have to think through how we can most effectively coordinate all the tools at our disposal. 

This is one reason why we will be consulting provinces, territories and the municipal sector this summer on a framework for long-term, predictable federal infrastructure funding.

This process will support the overall objective of the Prime Minister – fiscal balance.

The Transport, Infrastructure and Communities portfolio is another example of more effective action. 

In addition to Infrastructure Canada and Transport Canada, Minister Cannon is also accountable to Parliament — that is, to all Canadians — for 16 Crown Corporations, including Canada Post and the Canada Lands Company — an organization which is proving to be a true success in terms of partnership.

For example, Canada Lands is behind the successful Garrison Woods project in Calgary.

These corporations and others in the portfolio provide services that are very close to Canadians.

In addition, dozens of shared governance organizations, such as port and airport authorities are also part of the portfolio.

Why is this portfolio important to municipalities? It’s important because now we have – for the first time in these areas – one federal minister with responsibility for a comprehensive range of tools.

I’m talking about investments, of course, but also about legislation, regulation, policies and programs. 

We need to use them all together, in order to maximize the effectiveness of each of them.

The benefits offered by the creation of this portfolio lie not only in the opportunity to gain an integrated understanding of transport, infrastructure and communities issues but, more importantly, in the opportunity to make integrated decisions in support of clear objectives.

Minister Cannon’s approach to has three main elements:

• identifying Canada’s challenges,
• developing strategies that address them, and
• taking action.
  

The first element: identifying challenges.

Canada’s challenges include globalization, the rise of China and India, and the importance of our partnership with the United States.

The second element: strategies.

This portfolio’s strategies tackle issues of a national scope and federal responsibility,
and where we have practical tools to make a difference.

We can help to meet Canada’s challenges by ensuring our programs are focused on:Economic competitiveness; Quality of life; The environment; and Accountability to Canadians.

These key priorities will be supported through the efficiency, safety, security and sustainability of our national transportation system; through effective borders; and through investing in strategic and community infrastructure.

And the third element – the most important element – is, of course, action.
In the short term, we will put our strategic approach into action by supporting sustainable infrastructure, through transportation gateways and trade corridors, through transportation security, and by building strong communities that offer a healthy environment and a good quality of life.

Integrated Community Sustainability Plans

Of course, no one level of government can, all by itself, provide everything that’s needed to improve the quality of life of Canadians.

We must work together, the federal government, the provinces, territories and the municipalities – while respecting individual areas of jurisdiction – if we are truly going to contribute to the sustainability of our communities.

And of course, we all understand that sustainability is not just a question of economics.
It also relates to the environment.

And it certainly relates to social, recreational and cultural aspects as well. 

I know that over the past year, AUMA has done a lot of work on developing the concept of the ICSPs with the support of the provincial government and in collaboration with us.

A clear example of the fruitful result of that collaboration is the guidebook and tools you have created and which your members can now use to develop ICSPs.

I believe that these tools will prove to be invaluable to your members and perhaps to members of other municipal organizations across the country, should you choose to share this material more broadly, and I applaud your achievements on this front.This is only one example of the great work that can be accomplished when all levels of government work together towards a common goal.

As the providers of the most direct services to  Canadians, you certainly have a good sense of the things that matter where people live, work and raise their families.

Your vision of things is well defined, because you are closest to the action.

And that is why the Minister and I value your input and why we will be consulting with partners and stakeholders to hear about how we can implement our new infrastructure programming,
but also how we can all work together to link investments to priorities and principles,
and how this process can result in more sustainable communities.
Conclusion

Canada is a great political and economic success story.

But we can’t take it for granted.

By continuing to work together, we can ensure that Canada remains a model for the world – especially for the quality of life it offers its citizens.

By building stronger communities, safer and more prosperous cities, by modernizing and developing our infrastructure and by cleaning up the environment, we are building a better Canada for future generations.

A vision we all can be proud to share.

On behalf of Minister Cannon, I thank you for your invitation to be here today. 

I am glad to have this opportunity to bring you up to date on how we’re approaching the vital needs of our country.

And I assure you we look forward to continuing to work with this Association and its members to achieve our shared objectives.

I think we’ve got some great potential ahead of us.

Thank you.