Finance Canada is defending its $10 billion loan guarantee for Trans Mountain to help the company finish its pipeline expansion after opposition parties and environmental groups called it a fossil fuel subsidy.
This financial support comes after the government said in February that no more public money would be poured into the project.
“This is a common practice which puts in place an insurance policy for the institutions that have invested in the project—it does not reflect any new public spending,” a news release from Finance Canada said. “The Government of Canada has not spent any money to put this guarantee in place.”
Politico first reported the government was providing the loan guarantee.
On Parliament Hill, CBC journalists asked Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland several times about the new federal support for Trans Mountain. The minister didn’t stop to answer questions.
