Conservatives demand Carney government to publish the Gordie Howe Bridge agreement with the United States

Conservative MPs called on the government of Prime Minister Mark Carney to publish the full agreement reached with the United States regarding the operation of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, considering that Canadians deserve to know all the details of the agreement before the bridge's scheduled opening on July 27.

The demand came in a letter sent by the Minister of Canadian-American Relations in the shadow cabinet, Shovalloy Majumdar, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the shadow cabinet, Eric Duncan, to the Minister of Government Affairs, Dominic LeBlanc, supported by a number of Conservative MPs.

The letter confirmed that Canada bore the full cost of building the bridge, including the approaches, border facilities, and infrastructure on the American side, in exchange for an understanding that the full project costs would be recovered from toll revenues before sharing any future surplus.

The Conservatives accused the government of reaching an agreement granting the United States half of the toll revenue profits, considering this a significant concession on a project fully funded by Canada and at the expense of Canadian taxpayers.

They also expressed their objection to what they described as the ambiguity surrounding the terms of the agreement, especially regarding the establishment of an economic development fund lasting 15 years, the mechanism for distributing bridge revenues, and the role the United States will play in determining future toll rates.

The MPs demanded that the government release all documents related to the agreement, including amendments, side agreements, financial arrangements, and commitments made with the American side.

They also called for clarification on whether the funds to be divided between the two countries represent total revenues or net profits, and whether any amounts will be transferred to the development fund before Canada recovers its full investments in the project.

The Conservatives also questioned whether the agreement grants the United States new powers to influence toll rates, or includes amendments to the ownership, management, or timeline for recovering the funds Canada spent.

The letter directly criticized Prime Minister Mark Carney, considering that he failed to use several files as a bargaining chip with Washington, including digital taxes, tariffs, and defense spending, and that his government made concessions without obtaining reciprocal gains.

The Conservatives said Canadians deserve to know what their country obtained in return for these arrangements, demanding the government publish the full agreement and provide a detailed financial disclosure explaining what was conceded and what Canada received in return before opening the bridge to traffic.

The Canadian government has not yet issued an official response to the letter or to the demands related to publishing the full details of the agreement.