Overview
- The House transport committee unanimously voted to call former transport minister Chrystia Freeland back to testify after reports of an April 29 heads-up from BC Ferries to Transport Canada.
- BC Ferries CEO Nicolas Jimenez told deputy minister Arun Thangaraj he provided a confidential warning weeks before June’s announcement and flagged potential national-security issues.
- BC Ferries says a five-year process yielded no Canadian bids for the four hybrid vessels, while Davie and Seaspan argue the procurement effectively excluded domestic yards.
- The Canada Infrastructure Bank financed the purchase with a $1-billion loan, a point B.C. Premier David Eby defended as he decried what he calls unequal federal ferry subsidies and cited a Marine Atlantic ship built at the same Chinese yard.
- Freeland had criticized the decision to buy from a Chinese state-owned shipyard and has since left the transport post for a Ukraine reconstruction role, as federal officials maintain Ottawa did not direct the procurement.