Rumour has it that the Chinese are looking to buy Metrolinx

james t kirk · May 22, 2018

I have no evidence of this, but I heard through reliable sources that a Chinese consortium with deep pockets and access to free material is seriously looking to buy Metrolinx.

They would buy the existing system, expand it for free (no taxpayer subsidies) and then they would own and operate it.

Supposedly partnering up with a token Canadian Engineering company to act as a front, but it's all red China behind it all.

Wow.

Can't say I'd want to see this ever happen.

shack · May 22, 2018

Mike Harris would sell it to them.

hoorawr · May 22, 2018

Isn’t metrolinx a crown Corp?

Chinese can buy it and invest all they want, they will still be parliament’s bitch

Or will they sell it with the intent of privatizing it?

bazokajoe · May 22, 2018

The provincial government needs to pay down that massive debt some how. It would surprise me to see Metrolinx and the LCBO be sold off very shortly. The Liberals just sold off a bunch of casinos for next to nothing.

Indiana · May 22, 2018

james t kirk said:
They would buy the existing system, expand it for free (no taxpayer subsidies) and then they would own and operate it.

Sounds good.

Smallcock · May 22, 2018

I can see this happening. I think the Chinese own a fair amount of infrastructure in the US so why not here too.

james t kirk · May 22, 2018

hoorawr said:
Isn’t metrolinx a crown Corp?

Chinese can buy it and invest all they want, they will still be parliament’s bitch

Or will they sell it with the intent of privatizing it?

Metrolinx is "an Agency of the Government of Ontario"

james t kirk · May 22, 2018

Indiana said:
Sounds good.

Except you would pay more for less service and the entire system would be made in China. From the rails to the locomotives to the people running the place.

Right now, it's an asset for the province that is being built to benefit everyone.

It's also about surrendering your sovereignty to a belligerent foreign power. I don't like the idea of the Chinese buying up Canadian assets. It takes away from us all.

huckfinn · May 22, 2018

I don't know if they would make a lot of money on it.....its already subsidized by both levels of gov't I believe.

And I know they can raise prices, but if the gov't sells it I'm sure they would have clauses in about raising the rates.

james t kirk · May 22, 2018

huckfinn said:
I don't know if they would make a lot of money on it.....its already subsidized by both levels of gov't I believe.

And I know they can raise prices, but if the gov't sells it I'm sure they would have clauses in about raising the rates.

Chinese (centralized) business models work very differently than Western ones.

I read somewhere that China has an immense over supply of steel mills for example churning out millions of tons of product with no market. China could provide all the steel necessary for the entire system to its contractor of choice (AECON - which the Chinese also want to buy) at 0 cost.

Hard for Canadian companies to compete with that kind of economic system.

shack · May 22, 2018

james t kirk said:
Right now, it's an asset for the province that is being built to benefit everyone.

It's also about surrendering your sovereignty to a belligerent foreign power. I don't like the idea of the Chinese buying up Canadian assets. It takes away from us all.

That didn't seem to bother Mike Harris and the 407.

james t kirk · May 22, 2018

shack said:
That didn't seem to bother Mike Harris and the 407.

That was one highway that is only open to well healed people who can afford cars and the rates.

Metrolinx is public transit for everyone.

Different can of worms. (But I get where you're coming from.) And many people think that Harris gave away the store.

Polaris · May 23, 2018

james t kirk said:
I have no evidence of this, but I heard through reliable sources that a Chinese consortium with deep pockets and access to free material is seriously looking to buy Metrolinx.

They would buy the existing system, expand it for free (no taxpayer subsidies) and then they would own and operate it.

Supposedly partnering up with a token Canadian Engineering company to act as a front, but it's all red China behind it all.

Wow.

Can't say I'd want to see this ever happen.

Haha!

This will never happen!

Then again, our Premier did sell the electric company.

This is what happens when a government falls too much in debt, and cannot control the deficit. Sooner or later, the vultures start circling as they know like everyone else, that that is not sustainable. Something gotta give!

The sale of Hydro One was an act of desperation. That level of desperation has not gone down from anything the government has done regarding the budgetary pressures.

Love him or hate him, Doug Ford is the only candidate in the coming election who seems remotely concerned about the debt and deficit, and he is. The other two ... who knows.

The leftist/communist elected government of Greece sold a big port to the Chinese. It could happen here. Aren't the NDP ahead in some polls? They NDP going to make Mandarin instruction mandatory in Ontario?

:ambivalence:

jcpro · May 23, 2018

Polaris said:
Haha!

This will never happen!

Then again, our Premier did sell the electric company.

This is what happens when a government falls too much in debt, and cannot control the deficit. Sooner or later, the vultures start circling as they know like everyone else, that that is not sustainable. Something gotta give!

The sale of Hydro One was an act of desperation. That level of desperation has not gone down from anything the government has done regarding the budgetary pressures.

Love him or hate him, Doug Ford is the only candidate in the coming election who seems remotely concerned about the debt and deficit, and he is. The other two ... who knows.

The leftist/communist elected government of Greece sold a big port to the Chinese. It could happen here. Aren't the NDP ahead in some polls? They NDP going to make Mandarin instruction mandatory in Ontario?

:ambivalence:

They can't teach English, how will they teach Chinese? The province will have to sell the teachers, too.

shack · May 23, 2018

jcpro said:
They can't teach English, how will they teach Chinese? The province will have to sell the teachers, too.

So, were you in favour of the stalwart of conservatism, Mike Harris, selling off the 407 to a foreign entity so he could disingenuously balance the books at the cost of giving up a cash cow and making Ontarians pay the highest toll road fees in the world for 99 years?

Hell, you can drive on the New York State Thruway about 400 miles from Buffalo to NYC for maybe $15.

Frankfooter · May 23, 2018

Polaris said:
The sale of Hydro One was an act of desperation. That level of desperation has not gone down from anything the government has done regarding the budgetary pressures.

Love him or hate him, Doug Ford is the only candidate in the coming election who seems remotely concerned about the debt and deficit, and he is. The other two ... who knows.

The leftist/communist elected government of Greece sold a big port to the Chinese. It could happen here. Aren't the NDP ahead in some polls? They NDP going to make Mandarin instruction mandatory in Ontario?

:ambivalence:

Worst move since the conservatives sold the 407.
Doug Ford would be even worse with money, he's promising more debt and someone who still thinks $3 billion for one subway stop is a good use of money won't do any better with more power.

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Rumour has it that the Chinese are looking to buy Metrolinx

james t kirk

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shack

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hoorawr

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bazokajoe

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Indiana

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Smallcock

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james t kirk

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james t kirk

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huckfinn

Banned from schools.....

james t kirk

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shack

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james t kirk

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Polaris

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jcpro

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shack

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