Federal Port Infrastructure: $8.7 million from Quebec to pay off port debt

The Legault government’s $8.7 million in financial support to finance the Port of Quebec’s debt on dock repair projects is raising eyebrows. An “unacceptable” and “disappointing” decision, according to observers.

Last year, the Legault government granted an $8.7 million subsidy to the Port Authority of Quebec (APQ), a federal corporation.

Everything was voted on by decree in March 2022. The Ministry of Transport of Quebec (MTQ) has in fact granted “a maximum financial assistance of $8,738,119, in the form of debt service repayment, to which costs and interest will be added, for a period of time.” For a period of up to 20 years, to complete 14 projects to develop the infrastructure necessary for port activities.

We are mainly talking about overhauling the various platforms as well as optimizing the terminal spaces. The fact that the Port of Quebec, a federal corporation, receives public funds from the pockets of Quebecers, is denounced by GIRAM, a group of experts specializing in heritage, environment and sustainable land development. This, according to its president, Pierre-Paul Senechal, is considered an “anomaly.”

Politically “unjustified.”

He said that the Legault government “crosses another line, which is the unacceptable line.” “How can we justify politically our ability to rely on the Quebec public treasury to support a company that has gone to fight all the way to the Supreme Court to escape Quebec’s laws? […] I find myself wondering whether this Saint Laurent project, Mr. Legault’s commercial image, has contributed to making him “forget” constitutional rules. »

For constitutional law professor Patrick Taillon, even if the practice is not illegal or unconstitutional, “we are faced with an emblematic example of the dysfunctions that plague federalism.” He stressed that the Port of Quebec is a federal responsibility and that investments should be 100% Ottawa’s responsibility. “Seeing Quebec compensate for Ottawa’s inaction is sad. It is Quebec taxpayers who then have to pay double by shouldering their share of federal expenditures at other country ports and not benefiting, here in Quebec, from the federal investments to which we are entitled.” »

According to him, this only increases the financial imbalance.

Unified programme

In MTQ, it was explained that the investments made in APQ are made in the context of the Avantage Saint-Laurent programme, more precisely “Action 2” adopted in the wake of the slowdown caused by the pandemic.

“Canadian port authorities are eligible to receive funding from the Department, as part of Measure 2,” wrote department spokeswoman Emily Lord.

At APQ, communications director Frédéric Lagasse confirms that the port is not the only one benefiting. “This is also done for other ports along the St. Lawrence River,” he notes. “The economic sectors associated with these infrastructures are agri-food, construction, mining, etc. Quebec therefore benefits from the economic benefits.”

As for federal participation in these same projects, the port did not mention it in detail. “For some projects, yes the federal government participated financially. However, for the federal government, the way financial support is paid is different.”