Just weeks before an election, Liberal cabinet ministers and MPs are fanning out across Canada, doling out money for dairy farmers, steel producers and lots of road repairs
(L-R): Francesco Sorbara, Bardish Chagger, Sean Casey, Filomena Tassi and Ralph Goodale at their respective funding announcements. (@fsorbara;@BardishKW;@SeanCaseyLPC;FilomenaTassiMP;@RalphGoodale/Twitter)
It’s become a time-honoured tradition for parties in power to sprinkle money around the country whenever Parliament takes a break. Stephen Harper’s Conservatives popped up in big cities and small towns alike, particularly as they rolled out massive infrastructure stimulus spending when the global financial crisis consumed the political agenda (at the time, some Tories got in hot water for handing out giant novelty cheques). Justin Trudeau’s Liberals have spent much of the summer, conveniently only a few weeks away from an election call, at nearly identical events (without the novelty cheques).
The routine is simple. A local Liberal MP, or maybe even a cabinet minister, shows up at a podium with a provincial cabinet minister or nearby mayor. They applaud the cooperation it took to get to where they are, announce federal funding and explain what it will build or fix, and then pose for a photo-op. The projects are typically approved by bureaucrats, the funds drawn from an existing program on the books; everything is above-board procedurally, and only the timing is convenient.
The dollars add up. Global News journalist David Akin has tracked the spending closely for years, and he calculated 275 announcements in the seven days between Aug. 16-23 worth a combined $2.8 billion. More than half the announcements were in Ontario, he reported, while almost half of the funding went to Quebec.
We’ve dug into 10 ridings that received money last week, during a typical pre-election midsummer stretch, each a snapshot of a city or town with businesses or infrastructure in need and a federal government armed with some cash to help out. We’ve also offered the electoral context in each case, and noted the 338Canada projection as of Aug. 23.
The feds are spending $704,375 to rehabilitate a 130-year-old bridge in Conestogo, which the local mayor said pairs “modern convenience with historical significance.” Eight other road-improvement projects in the area also scored federal money.
Aug. 19
Bardish Chagger, Government House Leader and the MP for Waterloo
$7.7 million
The Conservatives won by 0.53 points
Liberal
Harold Albrecht has won four elections in a row, but nearly lost in 2015. Tim Louis, the Liberal runner-up, is on the ballot again.
Leaning Conservative
SkyTrain riders in Burnaby who live near the Brentwood Town Centre station will eventually see new stairs, escalators, security cameras, as well as a resurfaced mezzanine and better lighting, among other improvements, when they enter or exit the station. The changes aren’t coming soon: work is only expected to start in late 2020.
Aug. 19
Terry Beech, the MP for Burnaby North-Seymour
$6.1 million
The Liberals won by 6.48 points
NDP
Svend Robinson, a former NDP MP, is attempting a political comeback—and is campaigning hard against the Trans Mountain expansion. The Tory candidate is occupational therapist Heather Leung.
Toss-up
Annapolis residents will soon have a new watermain on Hillside Drive, and nearby Digby’s wastewater treatment facility will get an overhaul—new pumps, electrical components and lift stations. The feds say the new infrastructure will “position communities for growth.”
Aug. 20
Colin Fraser, the MP for West Nova
$429,950
The Liberals won by 36.9 points
Conservative
Chris d’Entremont, a five-term Progressive Conservative veteran of the Nova Scotia legislature, will try to return the riding to the Tories (who held it from 2008-2015). Fraser isn’t running again.
Likely Liberal
La Ferme Vallée Verte 1912, a dairy producer based in Saint-Jean-de-Matha, a small town north of Montreal, will automate its milk and yogurt packaging lines—and increase its milk processing capacity by 130 per cent. A press release says the company will also hire five more people.
Aug. 20
Jean-Claude Poissant, the MP for La Prairie
$120,950
The Liberals won by 10.22 points
Bloc Québécois
This riding, new in 2015, comprised two former districts that joined the Orange Wave in 2011. The NDP wasn’t a factor in 2015. Former Parti Québécois MNA Alain Therrien is the Bloc candidate.
Likely Liberal
Hamilton’s port, which the feds call a “primary export gateway for Ontario-grown grain,” will see new covered storage space and docking space meant to reduce shipping delays. Federal funding will also create an estimated 110 jobs.
Aug. 21
Filomena Tassi, the minister for seniors and the MP for Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas
$5.5 million
The NDP won by 12.17 points
Liberal
David Christopherson won five elections for the NDP, but he’s not running again. Matthew Green, a former Hamilton city councillor, will try to hold the riding. Jasper Kujavsky is the Liberal challenger.
Likely NDP
Charlottetown’s library will move downtown and “incorporate the latest in modern technology and design.” Dennis King, the province’s new Tory premier, was at the announcement.
Aug. 21
Sean Casey, MP for Charlottetown
$6.3 million
The Liberals won by 33.13 points
NDP
Sean Casey ran away with this riding in 2015, but Greens took three Charlottetown ridings in the recent P.E.I. election. Darcie Lanthier is that party’s candidate.
Leaning Liberal
Global Plas, an auto-parts supplier that’s currently making door and fender parts for Toyota’s RAV4, will add new production lines, molding machines and automation equipment. The federal money is expected to create 50 jobs.
Aug. 22
Francesco Sorbara, the MP for Vaughan-Woodbridge
$2.5 million
The Conservatives won by 24.8 points
Liberal
Peter Kent, a three-term incumbent and former environment minister, will look to continue his winning streak. His Liberal challenger is non-profit executive Gary Gladstone.
Likely Conservative
Inotech, an equipment supplier for the lumber industry, will be able to “install CNC machining equipment, purchase specialized software, expand and refit its building, and revamp the company’s portal and website.”
Aug. 22
Richard Hébert, the MP for Lac-Saint-Jean
$563,400
The Liberals won a 2017 by-election by 13.58 points
Conservative
Jocelyn Fradette, a teacher and Alma city councillor since 2005, will try to wrench the riding away from the Liberals. Tories held this from 2007-2017.
Likely Conservative
The Globe Theatre’s home in downtown Regina, the Prince Edward building, is more than a century old. The federal money will upgrade masonry, electrical and mechanical systems, and structural columns.
Aug. 23
Ralph Goodale, public safety minister and the MP for Regina-Wascana
$10.8 million
The Liberals won by 24.86 points
Conservative
Ralph Goodale has held this riding for the last 25 years. Liberals aren’t polling well on the Prairies, though. Tory candidate Michael Kram is looking to win a rematch.
Toss-up
The Cariboo Highway section of Hwy 97, which runs through Quesnel, B.C., will get new traffic signals at both Racing Road and Quesnel-Hydraulic Road. The federal money will “significantly increase driver safety.”
Aug. 23
Francois-Philippe Champagne, minister for infrastructure and communities
$7.7 million
The Conservatives won by 5.15 points
Liberal
Todd Doherty won a three-way race after longtime Conservative MP Dick Harris left office. Tracy Calogheros, the CEO of the science centre in Prince George, will try to win a rematch for the Liberals.
Likely Conservative