A day after a motion to make public details of the deal to open the Gordie Howe International Bridge was stymied at a special House of Commons committee, Windsor West MP Herb Gill is urging the Liberal government to just release it.
"Just open the books and show us the deal, and if it's a great deal you shouldn't have any issues disclosing what it is," said Gill.
Unfortunately, Liberal MPs on the Government Operations and Estimates Committee used their majority to adjourn the meeting before a vote could be held on the motion.
The Conservatives called for a special meeting after the deal, which will award Washington D.C. half of all net bridge revenues for 15 years, was released last week. The party has accused the Carney government of capitulating to the Trump Administration.
"I want to understand the strategy here. Maybe there is one. Explain it," said Gill during the meeting on Wednesday. "Because right now it looks like this: Washington applies pressure, Ottawa caves."
The original agreement in 2012 called for Canada to keep the bridge toll revenue until the $6.4-billion cost of constructing the bridge is paid off, about 30 years. U.S. President Trump now says that deal is null and void.
The earlier deal excluded the U.S. federal government. It was with Michigan.
The motion would have called three cabinet ministers, Canada U.S. Trade Minister Dominic Leblanc, Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson, and Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, to testify before members of the committee. It also demanded the release of all drafts of the deal, and an economic analysis of the Gordie Howe International Bridge by the Parliamentary Budget Officer.
Gill says the public deserves to know what's in the deal, "Because it's going to impact us, all of us, in the long-term. How much are we going to be paying and how long are we going to be paying to service the debt and recover the money that we put in."
Gill said he'll continue to pressure the government to release the documents, but admits he may run up against the Liberal majority on the committee again.
