March 23, 2017
CCPPP's Response to 2017 Federal Budget
The Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships (CCPPP) welcomes the 2017 Federal Budget and the federal government’s continued commitment to address Canada’s infrastructure deficit, targeting investments in support of public transit, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, rural and northern infrastructure and trade and transportation.
CCPPP is especially pleased to see the government pursue an innovation agenda. Inspiring innovation and investing in infrastructure development go hand in hand with creating and supporting a prosperous economic environment for Canadians and Canadian business. Notably, the affirmation of the $300 million Smart Cities Challenge to encourage municipalities to develop high tech infrastructure and the proposal for a $125 million Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy will move Canadian communities towards the front of the pack globally.
The $11 billion investment in affordable housing is an important and timely step towards supporting the needs of municipalities across the country. As well, this budget builds upon record commitments to Indigenous infrastructure to address schools, water/wastewater, energy, broadband, and transportation systems. We look forward to the opportunity to discuss the ways in which public-private partnerships (P3s) can be effectively used to support these critical social infrastructure investments.
CCPPP and its members have a particular interest in the government’s plans to create the Canadian Infrastructure Bank (CIB). As leaders in the P3 space, we believe the CIB, properly structured, has the potential to accelerate the creation of a strong pipeline of projects.. A broadened focus on revenue generating projects will build upon the success that Canadian P3s have demonstrated in availability-based projects which have been widely used across Canada.
Canada already has an impressive record when it comes to P3s, with more than 250 projects across the country valued at over $120B. These projects have generated savings to government up to $27B while supporting over $14B a year in economic activity and creating115,000 jobs annually.
CCPPP also recognizes the government’s strong commitment to grow trade and investment opportunities in key global markets – particularly through its $256 million, 5 year investment in the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Canada’s P3 model is regarded as best in class globally and this initiative enables Canadian firms with this expertise to better position themselves to successfully bid on P3 projects around the world.
CCPPP looks forward to working with all stakeholders and to supporting the government efforts to successfully implement the next phase of its infrastructure plan.
For more details, see the 2017 Federal Budget page.