Transport Committee on April 15th, 2026

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Vancouver Fraserview—South Burnaby, BC]

Through the chair, it's quite the opposite. I think there is a great track record by the Infrastructure Bank of investing in very compelling and viable projects across Canada. The bank is bringing funding back in. The loans that have been made are solid. The capital is being repaid, which is the whole purpose of the Infrastructure Bank to begin with, to provide capital that could be repaid as judged by the bank based on its projects.

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

If the loans are made on market terms, why don't you want to disclose the loan terms to us? Why do they have to be hidden?

I have a hard time understanding.

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Vancouver Fraserview—South Burnaby, BC]

The terms are legally protected by confidentiality between the parties, and that's the Infrastructure Bank and the proponents of these projects. They have language in their agreements that protects the commercial viability around the loan, and we need to respect that if we're going to attract further capital.

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

As you know, committees have a constitutional right to receive documents.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Schiefke]

Thank you very much, Mr. Barsalou-Duval. Thank you very much, Minister.

Next, I'll turn the floor over once again to Dr. Lewis.

Dr. Lewis, you have five minutes, please.

[Leslyn Lewis, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

Thank you.

Minister, you stated that you were present at the announcement on February 26. Did you know about the Liberal connections to the project before you attended the announcement, or did you learn after you attended?

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Vancouver Fraserview—South Burnaby, BC]

I did not know anything about that when I attended the announcement. That information has come up since that time.

[Leslyn Lewis, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

When did you learn about it, Minister?

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Vancouver Fraserview—South Burnaby, BC]

I'm not sure when I heard there were assertions around that. I don't remember. It was some weeks ago, I think around the business of this committee.

[Leslyn Lewis, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

Okay. So once you became aware that there were Liberal connections associated with the project, did you take any steps to ensure that there was no real or perceived conflict of interest, yes or no?

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Vancouver Fraserview—South Burnaby, BC]

The Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is charged with ensuring that all of the work that we do here in the Government of Canada is subject to their rigorous scrutiny.

[Leslyn Lewis, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

You're saying no, you personally did not. Is that correct?

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Vancouver Fraserview—South Burnaby, BC]

I personally did...? Sorry, can you repeat the question?

[Leslyn Lewis, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

You personally did not take any steps to ensure that there's no real or perceived conflict after you learned that Liberals were involved in the company that's receiving those funds.

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Vancouver Fraserview—South Burnaby, BC]

The company has a loan with the Canada Infrastructure Bank. I do not engage in the terms of the loans.

[Leslyn Lewis, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

That's not what I'm asking, Minister.

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Vancouver Fraserview—South Burnaby, BC]

On the investments that are made, that's the business of the Infrastructure Bank and its board.

[Leslyn Lewis, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

Minister, you know that under section 4 of the act you have the power to request additional review in the public interest, and you know it's your job to act in the public interest. Your responsibility, is what you're saying to me, stops after you dish out the $40 billion of taxpayers' money to companies that are connected to Liberals. That's what you're saying, that your obligation stops.

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Vancouver Fraserview—South Burnaby, BC]

If you're using that line of reasoning, this was for the Progressive Conservative Government of Nova Scotia to benefit from. I did not ask questions or ask for more scrutiny as to why a Conservative government is getting a deal with the Infrastructure Bank. My sense in looking at this is that there are no partisan issues that are relevant here. The commercial terms of the loan are negotiated by the bank, and they will deliver a successful outcome for Canada.

[Leslyn Lewis, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

For the record, your position is that there are no partisan issues related to a $206-million loan that's given to Liberal insiders, so I'm going to move on.

Minister, this $206-million federally supported project in Nova Scotia contracted Vestas from Denmark and also major contractors from the U.K. and the United States, yet you say that the Canada Infrastructure Bank is supposed to be for the benefit of Canadians.

Why are you okay with this project contracting foreign suppliers?

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Vancouver Fraserview—South Burnaby, BC]

The Infrastructure Bank has financed this project in part. It's up to the proponents of the project, the project partners, to do the procurement. Those decisions rest with the project partners.

We certainly encourage buy Canada. I have done that directly with the Infrastructure Bank in my role with oversight. We now have a cross-government commitment to buy Canada, but this project was ahead of the curve, before that policy of the government came in. In terms of buy Canada, that's a recommendation we're making to all of the Crown corporations: that they do everything they can to buy Canada. Ultimately, those decisions are made by the project partners.

[Leslyn Lewis, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

Now that you know the turbine supplier is in Denmark and there are foreign contractors, Minister, is there anything that you're going to do to make sure that this is in the best interest of Canadians, given the scale of the taxpayer-backed project? Did the department assess whether there were Canadian industries that were considered first?

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Vancouver Fraserview—South Burnaby, BC]

My department does not do that review or consideration. As I said, the project partners do their procurement—

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Schiefke]

Thank you.

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Vancouver Fraserview—South Burnaby, BC]

—and the Infrastructure Bank makes a decision on the financing.