Mr. Speaker, in mid-April the Minister of Transport pledged not one cent of federal money would go into the expansion of the port of Belledune in New Brunswick. Now we find out that in addition to the colossal $20 million loan, the expansion project will also
receive an outright grant of $6 million including a grant of $1.5 million from the Ministry of Transport itself. This expansion comes at a time when the New Brunswick ports of Miramichi, Bathurst and Dalhousie are on the verge of closing down due to overcapacity in east coast ports.
Given that no private sector investors have been found for the Belledune project and other ports in New Brunswick are capable of handling the expanded capacity being planned, why has the minister had this sudden $6 million change of heart? Where are the so-called sound business decisions he says are so evident?