The Official Opposition is calling on the Liberal government to cancel its $1 billion loan to BC Ferries — just days after a unanimous call to investigate.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre condemned the scandalous affair, noting it “will outsource Canadian steel, aluminum and shipbuilding jobs to a foreign, state-owned enterprise.”

Earlier this year, China imposed tariffs on Canadian canola oil and meal, peas and seafood after Ottawa slapped levies on Chinese-made electric vehicles, steel and aluminum.

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“Unjust and illegal American tariffs are attacking Canada's steel and shipbuilding workers and Liberals are only making it worse by sending billions to China while it also punishes our farmers and food producers with crippling tariffs,” Poilievre said.

“Cancel the loan. Bring the jobs back to B.C. and Canada.”

A Conservative motion brought to the Commons transport committee, which received unanimous backing, will investigate how taxpayer funds have been directed to a Chinese state-run company, Blacklock’s reported.

This follows controversy surrounding Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland, who claimed China received no federal funding to build ferries.

“We expect ministers to appear,” MP Dan Albas, sponsor of the motion, told the committee. He also expects the CEOs of BC Ferries and the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) to appear, too.

On June 26, CIB approved $1.1 billion to replace BC Ferries’ fleet, including four new vessels from China’s state-run Weihai Shipyards, drawing criticism from opposition MPs, including Albas.

“Imagine my shock that we learned… [our] own government is actually using tax dollars to subsidize jobs and economic activity outside the country,” Albas said. The Crown bank, with a $35 billion budget for Canadian infrastructure, backed funding but did not name the shipbuilder.

BC Ferries awarded the contract to China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyards last month, citing no Canadian bids after a five-year procurement process.

Cabinet denied any knowledge of the private enterprise outsourcing shipyard jobs. Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson stated June 11, “The British Columbia government is responsible.”

Transport Minister Freeland also criticized the B.C. government for the purchase, despite CIB financing the deal. 

CIB, a Crown corporation reporting to Minister Robertson, was founded in 2017 based on an economic growth advisory council's recommendation, which included then-CEO of Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, Michael Sabia.

Sabia, after initially being criticized for a slow start, briefly led the bank before Prime Minister Mark Carney appointed him as Clerk of the Privy Council to support the Liberal government's infrastructure push.

B.C. Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth distanced his government from the decision, citing Chinese tariffs. Premier David Eby did not intervene, citing costs.

Robertson recently sought a briefing from CIB CEO Ehren Cory, who lauded the bank's BC Ferries partnership. MP Albas called the minister “hapless” for being caught flat-footed on the file.