Gagan Sikand at the Transport, Infrastructure and Communities Committee

On April 16th, 2018. See this statement in context.

April 16th, 2018 / 4 p.m.

Liberal

Gagan Sikand Liberal Mississauga—Streetsville, ON

Jason, I read your report prepared in November 2015 titled “Why Does the Government Lapse Money and Why Does It Matter?” In your executive summary, you wrote, “Each year, billions of dollars approved by Parliament are not spent.” You wrote that “this unspent funding totaled $9.3 [billion]” in 2013-14.

I want to focus my question on infrastructure capital projects. The parliamentary budget office stated that these projects “have a lapse rate of up to five times that of other spending”. Why does it take longer to spend infrastructure money than money for other programs?

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