The leader of the Parti Quebecois says the federal response to Bombardier's financial request only helps to bolster the sovereigntist cause. PQ Leader Jean-Francois Lisee salutes delegates during his opening speech at the Parti Quebecois national council meeting, in Quebec City in a January 14, 2017, file photo.
Image Credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Clement Allard
February 08, 2017 - 9:25 AM
QUEBEC - The leader of the Parti Quebecois says the federal response to Bombardier's financial request only helps to bolster the sovereigntist cause.
Jean-Francois Lisee says it's the federal government's role to help troubled industries across the country but that Quebec never gets its fair share.
Lisee says Ottawa has never hesitated to generously assist Ontario's automobile industry and that its response to Bombardier is another example of federal neglect of the province.
He made his comments today after the Trudeau government announced Tuesday it will offer up to $372.5 million in interest-free loans to the Quebec-based aerospace giant.
The federal money will be handed out in instalments over four years to support the Global 7000 and CSeries aircraft projects.
That amount fell short of what Bombardier (TSX:BBD.B) was seeking — nearly three times that much to help its CSeries program, which is in financial difficulty.
The Quebec government injected US$1 billion into the CSeries in exchange for a 49.5 per cent stake in the program and had called on Ottawa to make a substantial investment.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2017