Ottawa, ON – Today, Conservatives launched an investigation into the Liberal government’s financing of four ships from a Beijing state-owned company for BC Ferries. The Transportation Committee voted for a Conservative motion ordering the testimony of the Minister of Transport, Chrystia Freeland, the Minister of Infrastructure, Gregor Robertson, along with the CEO of the Canada Infrastructure Bank and the head of BC Ferries.
At a time when Canada’s shipbuilding and steel industries are under unjustified attack by American tariffs, Canadians were shocked to learn the federal government is providing $1 billion in low-interest financing for the purchase of foreign ferries. This is despite Mark Carney promising to “establish Buy Canadian standards for federal infrastructure funding,” and saying that Canadian taxpayer dollars should be “invested wisely, including by prioritizing made-in-Canada manufacturing and supply chains.”
This isn’t the first time Canadian workers have lost out. In 2017, the Liberals provided $28 million in funding to BC Ferries for vessel replacements that went to a Dutch company that built the ships in Romania. This project-specific funding is all on top of the over $37 million in annual funding the federal government provides to BC Ferries.
Not only will Canadian shipbuilding jobs be offshored, but the Liberals are financing the purchase from a Communist Party-controlled company. Mark Carney previously called the communist regime in Beijing “the biggest security threat to Canada.” Yet, his Liberal government is now providing taxpayer dollars to China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyards, which brags about being “a key state-owned enterprise directly administered by the central government.”
Canadians deserve accountability to make sure their money is not supporting Beijing state-owned enterprises at the expense of Canadian workers. Conservatives will get answers for Canadians and ensure their tax dollars are putting Canadian shipbuilders, workers and industry first.