Evidence of meeting #19 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was bank.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Catherine McKenna Liberal Ottawa Centre, ON
What are we looking for when we make investments in infrastructure? We want to get more and better infrastructure built. We want to stretch the dollars by, yes, bringing in the private sector, but when you—
Liberal
Catherine McKenna Liberal Ottawa Centre, ON
—go into communities across the country—it's going to depend by project.
Liberal
Catherine McKenna Liberal Ottawa Centre, ON
The Canada Infrastructure Bank is going to look at good opportunities. But what is most important for Canadians who are watching this is that this is about more infrastructure for you. This is about—
Liberal
Catherine McKenna Liberal Ottawa Centre, ON
—better infrastructure. I'm happy to take you to visit the REM in Montreal.
Liberal
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Vance Badawey
Thank you, Minister McKenna. Thank you, Mr. Scheer.
We're now going to move on to Mr. Barsalou-Duval for two and a half minutes.
Bloc
Xavier Barsalou-Duval Bloc Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Earlier, we finished our round of questions on the issue of the independence of the Canada Infrastructure Bank from the government. I found it surprising that a grant that was to be given to the REM was turned into a loan. Surely a government decision must have been made because I assume it was not the Canada Infrastructure Bank that decided to convert the grant.
If we go further, Mr. Sabia, after passing through the Canada Infrastructure Bank, became Deputy Minister of Finance. That's quite a tight relationship with the government.
In the last economic update, you announced, if I'm not mistaken, that there might be money to invest in the REM station at the Montreal airport. However, the announcement came from the government, not the Canada Infrastructure Bank.
Let's take VIA Rail as another example. A little over a year ago, in June 2019, you announced that you would spend $55 million on a comprehensive review of the project. Since then, your government has been completely silent, as has the Canada Infrastructure Bank.
This time, will you hide behind the independence of the Canada Infrastructure Bank and not approve the project?
Liberal
Catherine McKenna Liberal Ottawa Centre, ON
The independence of the Canada Infrastructure Bank is very important. However, we have priorities. I have sent a letter to the Canada Infrastructure Bank, clearly outlining our priorities, including a new priority to invest $1 billion in projects in partnership with indigenous peoples.
We are certainly working together.
Bloc
Xavier Barsalou-Duval Bloc Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC
Madam Minister, I would have preferred you to tell us about VIA Rail's high-frequency train project.
Liberal
Catherine McKenna Liberal Ottawa Centre, ON
A study is under way because it is a very large investment. We know that we need to have a plan, we need to be familiar with the technology and we need to know how we are going to finance it. Those are really important issues. We need to be aware that this is taxpayers' money—
Bloc
Xavier Barsalou-Duval Bloc Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC
As I understand it, there is no commitment on your part.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Vance Badawey
Thank you, Minister McKenna.
We're now going to move on for two and half minutes to the NDP. Mr. Bachrach, the floor is yours.
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Minister, the CIB's corporate plan states that “the success of the Growth Plan will be demonstrated through broad-based outcomes such as: a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions”. Will the projects funded by the Canada Infrastructure Bank be subject to your climate lens assessment?
Liberal
Catherine McKenna Liberal Ottawa Centre, ON
That's a very good point. We're looking very closely at the plan they have put out, and we have said it has to have clear outcomes. Everyone in life has to have outcomes, so climate is an outcome—
NDP
Taylor Bachrach NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
Minister, with all due respect—and I have a huge amount of respect for your work—it's a really simple question. There's a tool called the climate lens, which your government has put in place. There's the Canada Infrastructure Bank, which has infrastructure projects. Are those projects subject to the climate lens methodology and assessment?
