Haldimand–Norfolk MP Leslyn Lewis is speaking out against a $1 billion loan from the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) to BC Ferries, which will fund the construction of four ferries in China. During a Transport Committee hearing, Lewis questioned why Canadian taxpayer money is creating jobs overseas instead of supporting local industries like Stelco in her riding.
Lewis said thousands of jobs at Stelco and across Haldimand–Norfolk are at risk while the CIB finances projects abroad. She criticized the Bank for failing its mission of attracting private investment into Canadian infrastructure, pointing out that it has completed only seven projects in nearly a decade.
The loan, signed in March but disclosed only in June, offers BC Ferries a below-market interest rate of 1.8%. Lewis called out the lack of transparency and accused the CIB of subsidizing Chinese workers instead of Canadians.
She urged the government to abolish the CIB, citing poor performance and excessive executive bonuses. Lewis asked the CIB CEO to explain to Canadian workers why they were overlooked for the billion-dollar project.
Watch the clip of MP Lewis’s exchange at committee: https://x.com/LeslynLewis/status/1952777156599173500
Written by Jeremy Hall