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Harper announces plan for roads, highways, and infrastructure

January 11, 2006

Conservative government will create $2 billion Highways and Borders Infrastructure Fund, maintain all existing infrastructure commitments

FREDERICTON – Speaking at the Annual General Meeting of the Road Builders Association of New Brunswick, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper announced the Conservative plan for renewing Canada’s infrastructure.

“Infrastructure is a crucial investment in our economic productivity and quality of life. It is the sinew of our national economy – a web of concrete, steel, and fibre-optics that binds our country together, and brings our country to the world,” said Harper. “To harness our economic potential, Canada must address its national infrastructure deficit."

Harper announced that a new Conservative government will create a $2 billion Highways and Border Infrastructure Fund, designed to upgrade Canada’s National Highway System and improve border crossings. When fully implemented, the fund will provide $600 million per year in federal investment for highways and border crossings.

Other elements of the Conservative plan for infrastructure renewal include:

 

Maintaining the funding for the New Deal for Cities and Communities and fully implementing the transfer of the equivalent of five cents per litre of gasoline to cities and communities by 2009-10 for municipal infrastructure;

Expanding the New Deal to allow all cities and communities, including cities with more than 500,000 people, to use gas tax transfer dollars to build and repair roads and bridges, to improve road safety and fight traffic congestion;

Developing a national Road Congestion Index to track progress in reducing road congestion, and work towards reducing congestion levels in municipalities across Canada. We must begin to measure the results obtained for the infrastructure money spent; and

Maintaining the existing federal infrastructure agreements that have been entered into between the federal government, the provinces, and municipalities, including the Border Infrastructure Fund, the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund, the Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund, and the Infrastructure Canada Program. As existing agreements expire, new infrastructure agreements will be negotiated that maintain funding for these programs at least at current levels.

Harper said the new Highways and Borders Infrastructure Fund would enable the federal government to meet the request of Premier Bernard Lord, who introduced Harper at the event, for increased federal investment in New Brunswick’s highways.

“I know Premier Lord has asked for federal assistance to upgrade the highways in this province that are part of our National Highway System,” said Harper. “And this new commitment today, along with the renewal of existing infrastructure programs, means we will be able to move forward together in securing New Brunswick’s economic future.”

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