Is the infrastructure bank a solution or a problem?

Federal Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi says taxpayers won't be on the hook if projects financed through the proposed Canada Infrastructure Bank don't produce the kinds of revenues private sectors investors expect.

The Liberals want to create the $35-billion Bank to attract outside investors, such as pension plans, for major projects that Sohi argues the government can't afford to build on its own.

"We are talking about transformative projects that will otherwise not be built," Sohi told The House.

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Critics say the bank will lead to more user fees, higher tolls and the prospect that Canadians will be left on the hook if those projects, such as bridges and light-rail lines, don't provide the kind of returns those private investors want.

Sohi insisted that's not the case. He said the federal government will only be on the hook for its own share of the cost of building these projects.

"But the rest of the risk on the revenue on everything else is with the private sector. So they're putting significant amount of money into this so it would be in the best interest for everyone to work together to do all their due diligence before the execution of that particular project."

The role of the bank hascome under the most scrutiny in recent days.

"If the Liberals actually want to put Canadians ahead of corporate interests will they simply commit that there will be no tolls or user fees as a result of this bank," New Democrat MP Rachel Blaney demanded this week in Question Period.

Interim Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose called the proposed bank a "cocktail of waste, duplication and bureaucracy" that needs to be thought through again.

Both opposition parties want the bank's creation to be set out in different legislation than the budget implementation act to ensure a more thorough review by MPs at committee. As it stands now, the proposal will be dealt with at a single, two-hour hearing.

Political will and creativity are keys to NAFTA talks, says former U.S. trade rep

The former top U.S. trade negotiator says Canada will need to show political will and creativity when talks to renegotiate NAFTAformally begin.

In an interview with The House, Michael Froman saidhe will be watching to see how the White House frames the talks now that his successor, Robert Lighthizer, has been confirmed.

Healso said he will be looking to see how willing Canada and Mexico are to get a deal done once Congress receives the official, 90-day notice to reopen talks.

"We've seen a draft version that was leaked a month or so ago. Whether that's the final version or not, or what else we'll see. But that will set the parameters of what the executive is saying it wants to see from the negotiations," Froman said.

That initial list of demands included access to municipal procurement, and preserving U.S. access to the Canadian and Mexican markets.

President Donald Trump said this week that the changes he will seek are "massive."

In House: Assessing the Prime Minister's QP strategy

The Prime Minister has started using Question Periods on Wednesday to fieldevery question in an attempt to show how a Prime Minister's Question Period could work.

Well, this week, the opposition parties tried to take advantage by repeatedly asking Justin Trudeau how many times he had met with the ethics commissioner.

They failed to get an answer each of the eighteen times they tried.

So which side looks better: the government or the opposition parties?

"It was a ridiculous display from both sides, and while amusing, was really a waste of everyone's time," said Laura Stone, parliamentary reporter for the Globe and Mail.

"ButI believe the one most at fault is Justin Trudeau. He's the one who said that he would answer all the questions on Wednesday, and that was supposed to prove a point that it could be reformed. And it absolutely was not on display last week." Stone added.

"In Britain they have what they call the shuffle. It means that opposition backbenchersput their name in a hat and their chance to ask questions comes up randomly" said John Geddes, Ottawa bureau chief for Maclean's.

"So this thing of having Justin Trudeau ad hoc decide to stand up is never going to prove it works. It'll work if they introduce it and bring that British chance for other voices to get on the stage," he added.