Carney says he 'should have been clearer' about new Gordie Howe bridge agreement
Prime Minister Mark Carney admitted he should have been clearer regarding the revenue-sharing agreement for the new Gordie Howe bridge. He clarified that while a new deal with the U.S. shares net revenue, the original agreement with Michigan regarding debt repayment remains in effect.
Why it matters
The confusion over infrastructure financing highlights the complexity of cross-border agreements and the political pressure on leadership to communicate fiscal details accurately.
While attending the Calgary Stampede shortly after the deal was struck — but before the text was made public — Carney told CTV that bridge toll revenue would only be split with the U.S. after accounting for operating costs, including repaying the debt.
But that suggestion seemed to contradict the text of the agreement, which was only made public late Tuesday and made no reference to Canada's debt.
When pressed about the contradiction during a news conference on Thursday, the prime minister said he "should have been clearer" in his original comments and that the new revenue-splitting deal with the U.S. doesn't account for debt repayment.
"Could I have explained it better on a Sunday morning at Stampede, with a cowboy hat on? Yes, I could have explained it better," he said.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in