National

Auditor General To Scrutinize Government's $187B Infrastructure Program

The Canadian Press, 14 Feb, 2020 08:43 PM

OTTAWA - The Trudeau government's massive $187-billion infrastructure program will be scrutinized by the office of the auditor general of Canada.

Interim auditor general Sylvain Ricard says his office will endeavour to complete its investigation and report to Parliament no later than next January — as requested in a Conservative motion passed by the House of Commons late last month.

The government said at the time that it supported an audit, but most Liberals voted against the motion because it was critical of the government's lack of transparency and accountability on the file.

A promise to undertake massive infrastructure investments was a centrepiece of the Liberals' election platform in 2015, intended to boost the economy and create jobs.

However, several reports by the parliamentary budget officer have since found that the money is not getting out the door as quickly as intended.

And a Senate committee warned in 2017 that the sprawling program is unfocused and overly complicated, with 31 different departments responsible for doling out funds.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Few Incentives In Spending-Heavy B.C. Budget, Global Downturn Worries Business

VICTORIA — British Columbia's budget pays too little attention to the potential impacts of a slowing global economy and a shifting housing market, business leaders say.

Few Incentives In Spending-Heavy B.C. Budget, Global Downturn Worries Business

Proposed Edible Pot Rules Are Wasteful, Would Leave Products Tasteless: Critics

Canada's proposed edible pot regulations would result in tasteless products wrapped in wasteful packaging, shutting out medical patients and fuelling a continued black market, critics say

Proposed Edible Pot Rules Are Wasteful, Would Leave Products Tasteless: Critics

Man Arrested, Charged In String Of Four Bank Robberies Over Four Hours In Surrey

Richard Orr, 24, Is Charged With Four Counts Of Robbery And Remains In Custody Following The Four-Hour Spree On Feb. 12.

Man Arrested, Charged In String Of Four Bank Robberies Over Four Hours In Surrey

Alcohol Policies Fizzle For Canadian Governments As Harms Overflow: Reports

VICTORIA — Two new studies say the federal and provincial governments must do more to reduce alcohol consumption after determining damages from drinking have surpassed tobacco use.

Alcohol Policies Fizzle For Canadian Governments As Harms Overflow: Reports

B.C. Review Board Says Man Allan Schoenborn Who Killed Kids A Threat, But Outings To Be Mulled

Schoenborn, who's now 50 years old, has been held at the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital since before a 2010 court decision that found him not criminally responsible for killing his daughter and two sons.