Skip to main content Skip to search Skip to search

Political Science Canadian

Canada: The State of the Federation 2015

Canadian Federalism and Infrastructure

edited by John R. Allan, David L.A. Gordon, Kyle Hanniman & André Juneau

Publisher
McGill-Queen's University Press
Initial publish date
May 2018
Category
Canadian
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781553394556
    Publish Date
    Aug 2018
    List Price
    $45.95
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781553394563
    Publish Date
    May 2018
    List Price
    $110.00

Classroom Resources

Where to buy it

Description

Renewing and expanding national infrastructure is critical to the wellbeing and productivity of Canadians and is one of the foremost challenges confronting our federal, provincial and municipal governments. Not only are the required investments dauntingly large for all three levels of government, but so too is the required level of intergovernmental cooperation if our goals are to be realized. The 2015 State of the Federation volume advances our understanding of these infrastructure challenges and identifies how best to resolve them.

The contributors to the volume provide historical or international comparative perspectives and utilize legal, economic, or administrative approaches to examine the nature and magnitude of the so-called infrastructure deficit and the question of how best to finance the necessary investments. The possible roles played by deficits and debt are considered, together with options such as public-private partnerships and asset recycling, and a possible Aboriginal resource tax to finance the on-reserve infrastructure needs of First Nations. Considerable attention is also paid to pricing the use of infrastructure both to achieve efficiency in use and to avoid excess demand and an exaggerated perception of the required level of investment. Other contributors examine the infrastructure-investment-decision processes at the federal and provincial levels and consider the optimal allocation of responsibility for infrastructure investments among the different levels of government, and the related issue of the role of intergovernmental transfers to underwrite this allocation.

About the authors

John R. Allan is a fellow and former director of the Institute of Intergovernmental Relations at Queen’s University.

John R. Allan's profile page

David L.A. Gordon is professor in the School of Urban and Regional Planning and Department of Geography and Planning at Queen’s University.

David L.A. Gordon's profile page

Kyle Hanniman is associate director of the Institute of Intergovernmental Relations at Queen’s University.

Kyle Hanniman's profile page

André Juneau is a fellow and former director of the Institute of Intergovernmental Relations at Queen’s University.

André Juneau's profile page