
A Via Rail train is seen on tracks in the Montreal suburb of Beaconsfield as it heads out of the city on May 23, 2025. The Canadian Press/Christinne Muschi
Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre says the government should abandon the multibillion-dollar high-speed rail line between Toronto and Quebec City, arguing that the money would add to the national debt and be a burden on taxpayers.
“The project’s total estimated cost is greater than the current federal deficit and would amount to nearly $8,000 for a family of four, for a service that two-thirds of surveyed Canadians said they would not use even once a year,” the Conservatives said on March 31.

