The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on the Nova Scotia government to release all of the details on a forgivable $260 million loan provided to Irving Shipbuilding by the province.
“The jobs, the interest rates. What is it that’s calculated in those calculations that allows Irving to have this loan that’s given to them by the taxpayer to be forgiven?” said Kevin Lacey, Atlantic Canada director for the organization.
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According to spokesperson Heather Desserud, no one from the Department of Business was available to speak on camera about the matter on Friday.
Lacey has appealed to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for the details to be released.
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“We’re going to continue this push because it’s not just about this agreement, it’s about every agreement after this and whether or not the government is willing to be fully transparent with the taxpayers who are paying for these deals,” he said.
On Wednesday at the Canadian Defence Security and Aerospace Exhibition Atlantic, Irving Shipbuilding’s president Kevin McCoy was asked about the loan and whether all of the details should be released considering it involved the public.
“We follow the lead of the province, and I think everything’s been released. We got a $260 million interest-bearing loan, and I think that’s out there,” he said.