When is a dollar more than a dollar?
Published on June 2, 2016
This commentary was published as an op ed in the Globe and Mail on May 30, 2016. It describes a new approach emerging throughout the world that is stretching the power of public dollars beyond their traditional role. So-called “community benefits agreements” are seeking to ensure that broader economic and social benefits are embedded right from the get-go in all investment plans. There is precedent throughout the world for these measures, including the Ontario Infrastructure for Jobs and Prosperity Act that embeds reference to community benefits. It is time for the federal government to step up to the plate as it makes plans to spend $120 billion on infrastructure over the next ten years.
ISBN – 1-55382-669-8