Prime Minister Mark Carney refused to answer repeated questions Wednesday over whether he misled Canadians about a new toll-sharing agreement for the Gordie Howe International Bridge, as opposition MPs demanded parliamentary hearings into the controversial deal.Blacklock's Reporter says Carney abruptly ended a media availability after being pressed on concessions made to the United States involving the $6.4-billion bridge linking Windsor, Ont., and Detroit."Did you mislead Canadians on the Bridge deal?" a reporter asked as Carney walked away. "Did you mislead Canadians, sir?"The questions follow revelations that the U.S. will receive 50% of the bridge's net toll revenues until 2041, despite a 2012 crossing agreement that required Canada to pay the entire cost of designing, building, financing and maintaining the bridge while retaining all toll revenues.U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick publicly praised the revised arrangement in a July 18 social media post."Before this deal we got nothing," Lutnick wrote. "Now the United States gets 50% of net revenues until 2041 and a say in setting tolls. Our share is before interest and principal. This is the art of the deal in action."Carney has acknowledged changes were made to the toll arrangement but has not disclosed when the agreement was negotiated, why Canada agreed to the concessions or how much they are expected to cost taxpayers.On July 12, Carney told reporters Canada would receive bridge revenues, pay operating costs and debt obligations, and then split the remaining funds with the U.S. for 15 years."It's a good deal for Canada," he said.When asked at the same news conference whether Canada had made any concessions, Carney replied: "No. It's positive news.".Four days later, however, Carney described the agreement differently, saying the countries would split net revenues after operating costs, including toll collection, maintenance and snow removal."We expect after those costs for the first few years, net revenues will be modest," Carney said July 16. "In fact we expect them to be negative, you know, as traffic ramps up, so, negative to modest in the first few years."On both occasions, Carney said the American share of the revenue would be used for economic development projects in Michigan."The U.S. money is spent back in economic development in the region, the U.S. side of the region, obviously," he said on July 12.Opposition MPs are now calling for the House of Commons government operations committee to investigate the agreement. Committee chair Kelly McCauley, Conservative MP for Edmonton West, has the authority to convene hearings during the summer recess.The calls came as the federal government announced it had cancelled a planned July 27 ceremony marking the bridge's opening with American officials."It would be inappropriate to proceed with a celebratory event between the two countries," the Department of Infrastructure said in a statement.
