Current proposals for reviving our economy are steps in the right direction, but they need to be filled out in greater detail.
The emphasis on infrastructure spending is a good idea. The needs are great and an effective infrastructure spending program can be helpful in creating jobs and boosting our economy. However, the projects must be chosen carefully.
There should be no work of questionable merit merely to appear to be doing something.
Our governments, both provincial and federal, should work with business to direct funds toward forward-looking projects that will prove to be beneficial to the economy over the long term.
In the 20th century, infrastructure often meant highways. Our population has grown and our highways are clogged to the point where commuting time and pollution are having negative effects on economic growth. It is noteworthy that not only in Toronto, but also in Calgary and Vancouver among others, traffic during rush hours entails horrendous delays.
We should start spending our infrastructure dollars on more efficient mass transportation.
Also, Canada has lagged badly behind Europe and Japan on developing bullet trains.
We need to catch up as that is an essential ingredient for economic expansion. For instance, there now is a high speed train between Barcelona and Madrid.
That is something that we should copy along our north-eastern corridor, and between Calgary and Edmonton. To retrofit-the tracks and build the necessary equipment would employ thousands of ordinary workers while improving the productivity of our manufacturing sector.
The shoreline approaching Toronto requires a great deal of work; that would enhance property values while providing recreation facilities as well.
Infrastructure funds too should be used for insulating all public buildings.
That would reduce fuel consumption and thus save heating costs while protecting the environment, and would be a work outlet for thousands of the unemployed.
Unlike Europe, we have few modern tourist lodges along our highways and byways. One has to go far off the beaten track in order to find decent accommodation. Such a program, coupled with discount coupons for tourists, could assist our tourist industry that has been depressed in recent years.
Furthermore, we should be taking steps to control flooding in the many regions that repeatedly are devastated by spring runoffs.
This would obviate the need to recruit soldiers and volunteers to build sandbags.
In addition, we should construct a national power grid, originally proposed by Prime Minister Diefenbaker but ignored since then.
Of course, we should avoid “building bridges to nowhere,” as there are so many worthwhile projects that we can and should undertake now.