But every time we talk about pipelines we are told that construction jobs don't count because they are not "permanent" jobs....lol.

The tail is wagging the dog here and you bought into it hook line and sinker.

Infrastructure spending must be targeted to have an effect.  Having the feds pay to repair an existing road or bridge does nothing to boost GDP whatsoever. It simply offloads the cost from the municipalities and provinces to the federal government.

Providing new infrastructure like the new Windsor-Detroit bridge is a fantastic example of targeted infrastructure spending that will boost GDP.  Increasing public transit access or twinning roads like the 401 (might have to build the twin on top of that one) that are congested and reduce human productivity are also good examples of targeted infrastructure that will boost GDP.