Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released his supplementary mandate letter to the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, outlining further responsibilities of the Minister in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. These responsibilities, as stressed by the Primer Minister, come in addition to those already set out in the 2019 Mandate Letter.
As discussed in his 2020 Speech from the Throne and 2020 Fall Economic State, Justin Trudeau outlined four overarching priorities: protecting public health; ensuring a strong economic recovery; promoting a cleaner environment; and standing up for fairness and equality. The 2020 supplementary Mandate Letter provides the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities with a list of detailed commitments.
The Prime Minister has Issued the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities to Commit to:
- The creation of Canada’s first-ever national infrastructure assessment
- The development of a national climate change adaptation strategy
- The provision of permanent transit funding
More Pliable Commitments Include:
- Support in the creation of one million jobs and restoring employment to levels prior to the pandemic using a range of tools, including direct investments in the social sector and infrastructure
- Deliver more affordable, active and zero-emissions transit options
- Accelerate the connectivity timelines and ambitions of the Universal Broadband Fund to ensure that all Canadians, no matter where they live, have access to high-speed internet
- Transform how we power our economy and communities, including by moving forward with investments in large-scale building retrofits and clean power
- Expand urban parks to increase Canadians’ access to green spaces. This includes investing in natural infrastructure and building cycling and walking paths
- Identify opportunities to build more resilient water and irrigation infrastructure
- Close the infrastructure gap in Indigenous communities, particularly with respect to affordable housing, working on a distinctions basis with First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation to accelerate the Government’s 10-year commitment
The 2020 Mandate Letter, including the full list of commitments issued to the Minister, can be read here.
