Infrastructure summit proposed by P.E.I. Opposition

A summit on infrastructure was the first suggestion of P.E.I's Official Opposition Thursday as the fall session of the legislature began.

New Opposition leader Jamie Fox led off debate during question period, and almost all of the eight Progressive Conservative members had a chance to question the government on the topic.

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"Holding an infrastructure summit would be a more comprehensive and collaborative approach that's also more transparent," said Rustico-Emerald PC MLA Brad Trivers.

Prime MinisterJustin Trudeauhassaid a Liberal government would double spending on infrastructure to jump-start economic growth.

Triver said he thinks it's a good idea to get all interested parties including municipalities, the province, and environmental groups together for a summit on how to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on projects like roads, sewer and water, and energy.

"Going this route could be more fiscally prudent than previous stimulus investments that lacked that focussed, planned approach," said Trivers.

"If that's something that the communities come forward with, and the Federation [of Municipalities] partners decide that this is a way they want to engage, in a different way, we'll continue to work with them," said P.E.I. Transportation Minister Paula Biggar.

"I'm not averse to anything like that, and I think we're already doing that," Biggar added.

It may however be too late for such a meeting of minds -- the government plans next week to table its capital budget for 2016.

However Premier Wade MacLauchlan has said the capital budget could change and PEI could add more spending, once the province has more details from Ottawa on its infrastructure program early in the new year.