OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is demanding Prime Minister Mark Carney release his agreement with U.S. President Donald Trump over revenue from the Canadian-financed Gordie Howe International Bridge.Poilievre sent Carney a letter Friday accusing the prime minister of making contradictory statements about whether the United States will receive bridge revenue before Canada recovers its investment.Canada financed the entire project, which has an estimated contract value of $6.4 billion, with the expectation that its costs would be recovered through tolls.The original 2012 Canada-Michigan Crossing Agreement said Canada and the bridge’s private builder would recover their investments before toll revenue was divided equally between Canada and Michigan.“Canada paid for 100% of the cost of building the Gordie Howe International Bridge under the simple promise that we would collect 100% of the tolls until the cost was repaid,” Poilievre wrote.“Last week, you announced an agreement giving Americans a cut of profits sooner. Since then, Canadians have been left in the dark about how much you conceded with your government hiding the agreement from the public.”.Carney told reporters Thursday that the new arrangement is not a division of bridge tolls.“We can start with what it isn’t,” Carney said. “It’s not splitting the tolls of the bridge.”He then said the two countries had reached “an agreement for 15 years to split net revenues.”“Splitting the tolls, any sharing of the toll revenue, won’t happen until all of the debt, all of the debt, is repaid,” Carney said.Poilievre said those statements left it unclear whether the United States will receive money before or after Canada’s construction costs are recovered.“But you just said you would not be splitting the tolls, so which is it?” Poilievre wrote. “Are the Americans getting a cut or not?”Carney said net revenue would be calculated after expenses including staffing toll booths, maintenance and snow removal.He predicted the bridge would initially generate little or no net revenue as traffic increases.“We expect after those costs for the first few years, net revenues will be modest,” Carney said. “In fact, we expect them to be negative.”The federal government’s July 10 announcement said Canada and the United States agreed to establish a 15-year economic development fund tied to “a portion of profits from bridge operations.”However, U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain said the United States will receive half of the bridge’s revenue after operating costs for 15 years and will also gain a role in decisions involving toll changes.Poilievre noted Infrastructure Minister Dominic LeBlanc had referred to “half of net profits,” while Carney used the term “net revenues.”“What about the debt you said would be paid off first?” Poilievre wrote. “Are Canadians getting our promised money back or not?”Carney also confirmed that the American share will be directed toward economic development in Michigan.“All of the portions that go to the U.S. government will be reinvested in regional economic development in the area, the U.S. side,” he said..Asked why revenue from a Canadian-financed project would be used in the United States, Carney said the benefits would extend across the border.“Reinvestment in regional economic development on the Michigan side, that’s obviously good for Michigan, but it’s also good for Canada,” he said.Conservative MP Shuvaloy Majumdar accused Carney of capitulating to the Trump administration.“Every dollar that goes to the Americans instead of Canada is a dollar that is not paying back the $6.4 billion,” Majumdar said in a statement.The government has not released the full text of the arrangement.The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, the Crown corporation responsible for operating the crossing and collecting tolls, has also declined to release it.“So what’s the deal?” Poilievre wrote. “It’s been a week; it’s time for you to release the deal so Canadians can see for themselves what you negotiated away to the Americans.”The six-lane bridge connecting Windsor, and Detroit is scheduled to open to traffic July 27.
