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QUESTION PERIOD — Finance

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

September 25, 2024


Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition)

Government leader, your NDP-Liberal government’s former finance minister; the current finance minister, Chrystia Freeland; and the de facto finance minister, Mark Carney, all thought it was a great idea to send a quarter of a billion dollars from Canadian taxpayers to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

Since March 30, 2021 — three and a half years ago — I have been trying to find out how many jobs have been created in our country as a result of Canada’s joining this bank. Last week, I finally received a response. This incompetent NDP-Liberal government has no idea how many jobs were created. In fact, it looks like next to none were created.

Leader, of all the examples of wasted taxpayers’ money over the past nine years, is this the worst one yet?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate) [ + ]

Thank you for your question.

With the resources you have in the other place to support you, it would be ill-advised and out of place for me to try to do your job for you and your team.

I do appreciate your question and have every confidence that you have reached those conclusions without the benefit of my interventions.

My resources? I am asking you to use your resources to give me an answer. You gave a quarter of a billion dollars to a tool of Beijing’s Communist Party for nothing in return. “ArriveScam,” WE Charity, SNC-Lavalin, the useless Canada Infrastructure Bank, billionaire island, the green slush fund, and on and on — those are what my resources have found. Help me with your resources. Time is up for this NDP-Liberal government, isn’t it?

Senator Gold [ + ]

You have been asking for my opinion, not my resources. The record will show the question that you asked. To this particular question, the answer is no.

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