(March 23, 2000) International Trade Minister Pierre Pettigrew’s glowing presentation in the House of Commons this week of large profits at the Export Development Corporation — and a 50-year total of "only $1 billion" in federal grants to the trade agency — is undermined by the Chretien government’s quiet write-off of $800 million in bad EDC loans since 1992.
Malaysian study will gauge feasibility of Mekong dam
(March 22, 2000) The Cambodian national Mekong Committee has promised to study all those possible impacts and, in January, gave the go-ahead for a feasibility study of the proposed $700 million Sambor or "Abundance" dam project. … A Malaysian consulting company called GIG Development Ltd has been approved to launch the study.
Opposition slams ‘sweetheart deals’
(March 22, 2000) The Export Development Corporation has shelled out more than $685 million in long-term, interest-free loans that are not repayable for up to 55 years to developing countries such as China, Pakistan and Gabon.
This is a race to the bottom! Export Development Corporation ‘will do anything’
(March 21, 2000) For 50 years the federal Crown export credit agency, the Export Development Corporation, has financed and insured the world’s most environmentally damaging and economically reckless projects, from the Three Gorges dam on China’s Yangtze River to the gold mines in South America and the former Soviet Union that spill cyanide into major waterways.
Opposition demands to know where export billions went
(March 21, 2000) The "cloud of secrecy" that surrounds the Export Development Corp., a federal Crown corporation that is exempt from access to information laws, is covering up $2.8 billion in bad loans, opposition MPs charged yesterday.
Exporting profit
(March 21, 2000) For some years now, economists have understood that even where private markets do not function perfectly, government should not intervene unless a rational case can be made that it will do things better.
‘Bottomless hypocrisy’ demands scrutiny
(March 21, 2000) An esteemed Canadian economist has called for a royal commission to probe endemic secrecy within the taxpayer-backed Export Development Corp.
Railway watchdog blasts loan to Amtrak
(March 20, 2000) Export Development Corp.’s secret $1-billion deal with U.S. giant called ‘blatant discrimination against Canadians’.
Hallmark dam completed on Yangtze River
(March 19, 2000) Construction crews finished the main wall of the world’s largest hydroelectic dam on Saturday, Xinhua News Agency reported. After 13 years of construction, the structure of the 185-meter-high (607 feet), 2,309-meter-long (1.4-mile-long) dam across the Yangtze River was completed at around 2 pm on Saturday.
‘This is a race to the bottom’
(March 19, 2000) Crown agency spends billions secretly backing environmentally destructive projects others won’t touch Export Development Corp. ‘will do anything,’ critic says; EDC VP insists agency ‘routinely’ turns down projects that are environmentally ‘risky’.
Chinese corruption doesn’t faze EDC
(March 19, 2000) The Three Gorges Dam mega-project has been plagued by economic environmental, and political problems — but the money from Canada just keeps flooding in. Jack Aubry reports.
Can Canada be green and competitive?
(March 18, 2000) Speech to the 2000 National Foreign Policy Conference
‘I don’t think patronage is a dirty word’
(March 18, 2000) Why Chretien confidant Pat Lavelle owes his career to the prime minister; Export Development Corporation chairman used to oppose free trade.
Crown Corp. is owed $22 billion for mystery loans
(March 18, 2000) $2.8 billion in bad debts is almost 3 times amount of Shovelgate grants; Even Canada’s auditor general doesn’t know who owes what.
Bombardier’s $1-billion trade secret
(March 18, 2000) How Canada’s hidden loan to Amtrak sealed deal for Quebec firm; Export Development Corp. bailed out U.S. giant while Liberals slashed VIA Rail funding.
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