Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault failed to appear at a Commons transport committee hearing March 6, after being summoned to testify about his controversial comments that Ottawa would no longer invest in new road infrastructure.
Conservative MP Mark Strahl said in a March 6 social media post that the Mr. Guilbeault and his party “refuse” to answer questions about remarks last month that the federal government had no interest in building new roads.
Mr. Strahl, his party’s shadow critic for transport, said that Mr. Guilbeault’s “bombshell” statement would be a “devastating policy” for rural, remote and northern communities that require federal support for road infrastructure.
Mr. Guilbeault told reporters at a Feb. 12 conference in Montreal that his party had “made the decision to stop investing in new road infrastructure.”
“Of course, we will continue to be there for cities, provinces, and territories to maintain the existing network, but there will be no more envelopes from the federal government to enlarge the road network,” Mr. Guilbeault said.
The minister said the Liberal government believes federal investment in public transit, active transit such as walking and biking, along with territorial planning and densification means economic, social, and human development goals can be met “without more enlargement of the road network.”
Following backlash after his comments, Mr. Guilbeault later told reporters he “should have been more specific” in his wording. He said he was referring to funding for large projects like the Troisième lien in Quebec, which was promised by Premier François Legault during the 2018 election but has not yet started.
Mr. Strahl also criticized Infrastructure Minister Sean Fraser and Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez for failing to appear before the committee to comment on the issue.
Fewer Roads, Fewer Vehicles
Mr. Guilbeault, during his Feb. 12 remarks, said funding new road networks would encourage more Canadians to drive their own personal vehicles, increasing congestion and encouraging further road development. The money that has typically been used to invest in asphalt and concrete for roads would be better invested in climate-related efforts, he said.Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he was “gobsmacked” by the announcement, while Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said the environment minister should “return to the real world.” Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre claimed the “radical” environment minister “won’t be happy until we’re living back in mud huts.”
“Our position on infrastructure has been clear since our election in 2015. There’s been no change in government policy,” he said. “We’re making historic investments across the country.”
New Democrat MP Taylor Bachrach said the conflicting messages between Mr. Bittle’s comments and Mr. Guilbeault’s earlier statements in the press must be addressed.
“The Minister did very clearly say there has been a policy change,” Mr. Bachrach said. “Mr. Bittle, on the other hand, at this meeting, has said there has been no policy change. The committee deserves to know which of those two things is true.”
Tory MP Melissa Lantsman agreed, saying the announcement made by Mr. Guilbeault Feb. 12 seems to indicate a departure from the policy put in place in 2015. She said the environment minister should be held accountable for the “extreme and reckless policy positions he has put forward.”
