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Liberal platform adopts combative tone on dealing with provinces
OTTAWA — Justin Trudeau’s combative attitude to some provincial premiers may not be just campaign rhetoric — his platform is promising to turn it into government policy if the Liberals are re-elected.
The platform takes a hard line on what the Liberals see as provincial foot-dragging on eliminating internal trade barriers and identifying priority infrastructure projects that are eligible for federal funding. And it warns that a re-elected Liberal government will take matters into its own hands on both files if necessary.
On infrastructure, the platform asserts that “some provinces are playing political games — delaying project approvals and putting good jobs and our quality of life at risk.”
In a second term, it says, a Liberal government would require all provinces and territories to identify and approve their long-term infrastructure priorities within two years. Federal infrastructure funding that hasn’t been designated for specific projects by the end of 2021 will be given directly to municipalities, through a top-up of the federal gas-tax fund, to spend on projects they choose.