http://ipolitics.ca/2016/01/17/feds-consider-picking-up-a-bigger-share-of-the-tab-for-infrastructure-projects/

Feds consider picking up a bigger share of the tab for infrastructure projects

By Jordan Press — Canadian Press | Jan 17, 2016 5:45 pm

He says his department is trying to fast-track spending for approved projects that are waiting in the queue for federal dollars to help prod a sluggish economy. He says the department is also going to try to quickly approve projects that provinces put forward for funding just as soon as they give the government their funding wishlists.

“As quickly as we get the lists, we will start to review them. Some of the projects are under review and some of the projects have already been signed off on,” Sohi told reporters before heading into his first cabinet meeting of the year.

“I did sign off on a number of projects in the last couple of weeks and there are other projects that we are currently reviewing because our goal is to get the money out into the communities.”

Insiders have told The Canadian Press the Liberals are “actively” considering speeding up delivery of the new infrastructure spending the government pledged in the election to help stimulate economic growth through 2016.

House leader Dominic Leblanc, the senior Liberal from New Brunswick, said the budget will honour the party’s campaign commitments – notwithstanding the economic news, which has been “a longstanding concern of the government.”

“We didn’t come to the concern about the Canadian economy and jobs and economic growth last week,” he said before the cabinet meeting.

“We were talking about that for many many months and we intend to implement the plan that we think will help Canadians.”