2021 Reports of the Auditor General of Canada to the Parliament of CanadaInfrastructure Canada could not show that Investing in Canada Plan was on track to meet objectives

Ottawa, 25 March 2021—A report from Auditor General Karen Hogan tabled today in the House of Commons indicates that Infrastructure Canada was unable to provide meaningful public reporting on whether the Investing in Canada Plan was meeting its objectives.

The audit found that the department’s reporting did not include programs that predate the creation of the Investing in Canada Plan, even though they account for almost half of the plan’s $188‑billion commitment. Although this issue was raised as early as 2017 by one of the plan’s oversight committees, and later in a 2019 internal review, the audit found that this reporting gap remained unresolved. Reporting on the plan’s progress was also affected by inconsistent information provided by federal partner organizations. Infrastructure Canada’s reporting captured only some programs each year, and year‑over‑year reporting did not reflect comparable results nor provide a complete picture of the plan’s overall results.

The audit also found that funds were not being spent as quickly as originally planned. Approximately a fifth of planned spending was unspent in the first 3 years of the plan and was moved to later years. No one was tracking the overall impact of this frequent reallocation of unspent funds. Continuously delaying and reallocating unspent funds means that Infrastructure Canada and its federal partner organizations risk not meeting the plan’s objectives.

“This plan is important because the government is investing $188 billion to generate long‑term economic growth, improve communities’ resiliency, support the transition to a green economy, and improve social inclusion and socio‑economic outcomes for all Canadians,” said Ms. Hogan. “The absence of clear and complete reporting on the Investing in Canada Plan makes it difficult for parliamentarians and Canadians to know whether progress is being made against the intended objectives.”

The 2021 Reports of the Auditor General of Canada—Report 9—Investing in Canada Plan is available on the Office of the Auditor General of Canada website.

- 30 -

Please visit our Media Room for more information.