Albertans use public infrastructure each and every day. When you’re driving to work or picking up the kids from practice, you’re driving on a public road. When you take the kids to school, they’re learning in a school built by public funds. When you need life saving care, you’re receiving it in a hospital built by all Albertans, through their government. And whether you’re picking up essential goods like groceries, or clothes at the mall, almost everything we rely on - our supply chain - is delivered on public infrastructure.
Over the last eight years, through the administrations of both Premiers Rachel Notley and Jason Kenney, the Government of Alberta has spent on average over $7 billion a year on infrastructure. What projects the government prioritizes and builds in your community matters to all Albertans. We need a plan and projects that equip us for generations to come. It is those projects that will help define Alberta’s future.
How infrastructure projects are selected, and the considerations that go into those decisions, have evolved over time in Alberta and around the world. Thirty years ago, decision makers gave relatively little attention to how infrastructure would hold up in response to climate change and resulting extreme weather events. Today, ensuring that we build resilient infrastructure isn’t just a good idea, it’s a necessity. And it’s good economics. Consider that the World Economic Forum estimates that every dollar invested to build resilience into infrastructure generates four dollars of economic value.
In late October, the UCP government introduced a new piece of legislation, the Infrastructure Accountability Act, that establishes the exclusive criteria to determine which projects move forward.
We are putting forward three proposals to improve the project prioritization criteria for public infrastructure projects in Alberta. These proposals are designed with Alberta’s future in mind, and would ensure that the Government of Alberta is working in partnership to build a stronger province.
- Alignment with Regional and Municipal Plans
- Furthering Reconciliation with Indigenous People
- GHG Emissions Reductions
We encourage you to read the full report to learn more.
"This proposal commits the province to acting in partnership with local governments and Indigenous communities, and making sure that future generations can enjoy a high standard of living." Thomas Dang, MLA