QUESTION PERIOD — International Trade
Trade Infrastructure
September 28, 2022
Honourable senators, my question is for the government leader.
Senator Gold, Canada is falling behind under this Trudeau government. According to a report released earlier this year from the Canada West Foundation, confidence in the reliability and competitiveness of Canada’s trade infrastructure has been declining, both here at home and abroad. In 2019, Canada was ranked thirty-second in the world, placing us below all of our major competitors. Trade and infrastructure experts have long been sounding the alarm on this and calling for Canada to urgently address its long-neglected trade infrastructure in order to remain competitive.
As our economy and population continue to grow, more strain will be put on our existing infrastructure.
Leader, why has your government not heeded these warnings? When are you going to address this?
Thank you for your question. The Government of Canada has worked hard, and continues to work hard, to ensure that Canada’s economy not only recovers from the strains that we all lived through with the pandemic but also emerges vigorous and stronger than ever. Indeed, the statistics demonstrate that.
The Government of Canada continues to invest, both in human capital and in infrastructure, to make sure that we are positioned to take advantage of the opportunities that face us in the 21st century. That includes a serious climate plan and the transition to a more resilient and sustainable economy.
Senator Gold, it seems like your government thinks that the fix-all solution to this problem is to simply throw money at issues as they arise rather than to address the root cause.
Former minister Perrin Beatty has said that your government has tended to measure infrastructure spending in terms of job creation, as opposed to what the “problem in need of a solution” is and what the economic returns are. This short-sighted approach is evidence of a lack of long-term planning by your government on this issue.
Senator Gold, when will your government start to get serious about the development of a long-term national plan to strengthen and secure Canada’s infrastructure and supply chains?
Thank you, Senator Martin, for your question. On behalf of the government, I can say that I do not accept the premise of your question. This government is serious. Our credit rating, our job creation rate, the strength of our economy in various sectors and our ability to have recovered are thanks in no small measure to the investments that the federal government, as well as provincial governments, made, and the efforts of all Canadians.
This government is convinced that it is on the right course to position Canada to take advantage of the opportunities in this challenging world.
