Opposition wants Prime Minister Stephen Harper to deliver 20-year infrastructure plan

OTTAWA - Opposition New Democrats and Liberals are urging Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government to accommodate the demands of Canada's cities for a long-term infrastructure plan.

Critics for both parties suggested that the existing federal infrastructure spending had flaws that made it difficult for cities to plan long-term infrastructure projects such as major public transit expansions.

"One way or another, there has to be a long-term dedicated infrastructure program," said NDP infrastructure critic Olivia Chow. "This new program has to be 10 to 20 years, (and) preferably 20 years, not two years. A two-year cycle is just unrealistic."

While the Federation of Canadian Municipalities has asked for a 20-year program to replace the existing multibillion-dollar Building Canada Plan, Transport Minister Denis Lebel has not provided details of the new plan beyond describing it as "long-term."

The existing seven-year plan expires in 2014, but the government is expected to unveil details in the upcoming budget. It has already ruled out having a dedicated public-transit strategy and fund, despite pressure from the cities and opposition parties to make this a priority.

Liberal transport critic Denis Coderre noted that he was part of a government that first introduced a revenue-sharing program that gave cities a share of the federal gas tax. This program was later increased and made permanent by the Conservative government.

"Clearly what I'm hearing is that there's a lot of need for transport and for clean water (infrastructure)," said Coderre, noting that aging water infrastructure in his hometown of Montreal was causing the city to lose about 40 per cent of its water from the pipes.

In terms of length, Coderre said a three-year federal plan would definitely be too short. But he said that a long-term federal plan could be as long as 20 years if it had the right checks and balances.

"We've invested billions of dollars but there are still some needs," said Coderre. "But also in the rural area . we need to take a look at how we should provide the money to make sure that we are not only sensitive, but fair to all the regions."

Lebel was not available for an interview Monday, but said through a spokesman last week that the government wanted to encourage more partnerships with the private sector through federal investments to help save taxpayers money and promote more long-term stability of funding. Lebel's office has also estimated that the government spent about $5 billion on public transit investments since 2006.

Both Coderre and Chow said that public-private partnerships could work in some cases. But Chow also noted that in some cases, such as the rail linking the Toronto airport to the Union train station downtown, partnerships with the private sector have resulted in delays.