December 10, 2008 - Canada Government, Ottawa Ontario

The Canadian government will begin studying financial information today provided by General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC to help decide whether to give aid to the three automakers.

Canadian officials will visit the companies’ “data centers” for the first time, Industry Minister Tony Clement told reporters today in Ottawa, without elaborating.

The government is reviewing restructuring plans the automakers submitted last week for the Canadian units as part of their bids for financial help. Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government is weighing the assistance as U.S. lawmakers prepare to vote on a $15 billion bailout.

The Canadian government is watching the deliberations in Washington “very carefully,” Harper said yesterday in an interview with Canadian Broadcasting Corp. He said the government “doesn’t want to run an auto company.”

Original Story - Bloomberg