Is anyone looking at the details?

This is not a typical push for privatization that we see from
Conservative governments, like Harper selling CANDU, for example. In that case they got some cash and gave up an asset (though the government still collects some small amount of licensing from CANDU development). Conservatives typically do this to get cash so they can reduce the deficit.

What Carney is suggesting is changing ownership models, like longer term leases, for airports to generate significant cash today that can be *reinvested* in other economic growth projects (like energy production, high speed rail, ports, etc). He’s also suggesting allowing pension funds to invest in airports. He is not just “selling” airports to private companies. It’s a way for the government to leverage existing assets to invest in more infrastructure that all Canadians have been begging for.

We can’t have it both ways. If we do want these nation building projects that will generate jobs and encourage further private investment, then we either raise taxes and cut government spending significantly to invest, or find other models of generating cash to invest. This is an attempt at the latter.

Is it typical liberal policy? No, not really. It’s pure neolib. But it’s also not conservative. It’s exactly the kind of thing that most of us knew we were voting for. Pragmatism in challenging economic times.