By Dylana Milobar

Federal budget plan projected to bring infrastructure improvements

Mar 20, 2019 | 4:34 PM

KAMLOOPS — Tuesday, the federal government released its 2019 budget plan, with funding boosts covering a wide variety of areas in need.

However with a federal election coming up in October, most of the spending would happen only after voters go to the polls. 

Locally, Kamloops residents can expect to see infrastructure improvements, with municipalities around Canada collectively gaining $2.2 billion. 

With this budget, the federal government will make some large, one-time investments that includes the $2.2 billion for new infrastructure funding, and an additional $1 billion towards improving energy efficiency in current civic buildings. 

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Kamloops Councillor and Deputy Mayor, Dale Bass says the money comes as a welcome surprise.

“It’s probably the result of the lobbying of the Canadian Federation of Municipalities. They wanted more money to help municipalities that are sort of stalled with some projects, and other municipalities that have projects they’d like to do,” Bass explains. “We’ve got lots we’d like to do, we’ve got lots that we’re planning on doing, and we’ve got lots that we’re getting shovel-ready. So this is quite a big surprise for us and we’re quite happy about it.”

The Canadian Government already pays out $2.2 billion to municipalities from gas tax revenues — Tuesday’s budget doubles that amount. 

Bass says the extra money, bringing the amount to $7.4 million for the city, can be used for things like roads, bridges, sidewalks, transit, and potentially a few other projects. 

That being said, there are use restrictions that the city would need to follow, but Bass says the PAC could be a possibility.

“It’s also applying to culture, and I’m intrigued to see if that might impact any Performing Arts Centre that we might be contemplating,” she says. “The PAC is still very speculative. The city is not doing much on it (because) we’re waiting for the public to get back to us with some interest.”

From the opposition, Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo MP Cathy McLeod says that money is not new, but rather a delayed promise. 

“If you recall back in 2015, there was a whole lot of money that was promised for infrastructure. The parliamentary budget officer clearly indicated that they weren’t getting that money out the door,” McLeod explains. “And so now, all of a sudden I think they are in a rush to try and say ‘we’ve produced something with the money that we’ve committed’.”

Also tabled in the budget was $553 million over the next three years to fix the failing Phoenix pay system. 

McLeod notes thousands of government employess have not been properly paid through Phoenix since it launched in 2016. 

“Yes, the former government set up the system, but the current government pulled the switch when they were told not to,” she explains. “It’s like, ‘What have you been doing for the last three years?’ Truly it’s been a horrendous issue. We have a lot of heartbreaking stories of people that work for the federal public service that come into our office, and we’ve heard across the country. They’ve been put in a really difficult position in terms of improper pay.”

It remains to be seen what kind of impact this budget will have on federal election results, but McLeod thinks the timing is no coincidence. 

“This was obviously a pre-election budget, where they’re looking at spending tens of billions of dollars more, and really trying to distract from what is their SNC Lavalin scandal,” McLeod speculates. “Tons of spending, and they’re going to obviously have to raise taxes later to pay for it.”

Meantime, Bass says Kamloops council and city staff will begin looking at what infrastructure projects could be funded.