Brookfield eyes $7B NorthRiver sale after lobbying PMO despite ethics screen
As Brookfield works to cash out of NorthRiver Midstream, questions are mounting over the company's access to Carney's government despite the prime minister's conflict-of-interest screen.
Brookfield Infrastructure is exploring the sale of its Canadian natural gas pipeline operator, NorthRiver Midstream, in a deal reportedly worth about $7 billion, placing renewed scrutiny on the company’s access to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government.
The potential sale, as first reported by Reuters, comes after NorthRiver Midstream and Brookfield representatives lobbied Carney and senior officials in the Prime Minister’s Office despite the prime minister being subject to an ethics screen covering his former employer.
Lobbying records show NorthRiver Midstream contacted the Prime Minister’s Office on Apr. 30, 2025, regarding energy infrastructure and regulatory issues. Just days later, on May 6, Brookfield Infrastructure CEO Sam Pollock met with Carney after he had become prime minister.
The meetings drew criticism from the Conservatives, who questioned why Brookfield executives and subsidiaries continued receiving access to the government while Carney remained financially tied to the investment giant.
