QUESTION PERIOD — Innovation, Science and Economic Development
Electric Vehicle Battery Plant
June 20, 2023
My question is also for Senator Gold. My question relates to transparency, Senator Gold, because you and the government are always reminding us how transparent the government is.
Last week, the Parliamentary Budget Officer released his report on government support for the Volkswagen battery plant. He said that the agreement is going to cost around $16 billion over the life of the agreement, but the government says it’s going to cost around $13 billion, so I’ll work with the $13-billion figure.
The government has already said that the cost of the agreement has been fully accounted for, but I can’t find it in the government’s fiscal projections. I specifically asked the Parliamentary Budget Officer if he could tell me exactly where that money is, because $13 billion is a lot of money, and he couldn’t tell me.
I know that in the government’s fiscal projections, there are a lot of big numbers floating around with no details provided. However, the Parliamentary Budget Officer said there’s not enough information. He said you’ll never figure it out.
My question to you is this: Where in the fiscal projections are the $13 billion?
Thank you for the question. Senator Marshall, if you can’t figure it out, I may have some difficulty.
The important point to underline here with regard to the numbers to which you referred is that this arrangement with Volkswagen and the monies that the government has agreed to provide are tied to the performance of that factory — the degree to which and the timing with which that production comes online.
In that regard, it may well be that, first, the amount of the funds is not necessarily fully known, which might explain that.
I’ll certainly bring your question to the attention of the minister.
Even that explanation was helpful, but I must tell you that this isn’t uncommon. Quite often, we can’t find large numbers and exactly what they’re representing in the budget. Another example would the growth fund, which is $15 billion.
Why is the government so secretive about providing fiscal information so that parliamentarians can follow the money? With the information they’re giving us now, it’s just not possible to follow the money.
Hear, hear.
Thank you. I’m not prepared to accept that the government is “being secretive,” but I do accept the point that you’re making, namely that you are having difficulty following the money. That is an important point which I will certainly bring to the attention of the minister. It’s a valid point and I take that point.
