On honest assessments

It remains to be seen what the Cons do with regard to foreign investment, but based on briefing notes of Industry Minister Maxime Bernier the operative principle seems to be a desire to make any review action less transparent and publicly accessible:

However, the notes point out that there are also a variety of direct and indirect barriers to foreign investment in other sectors of the economy, including broadcasting, entertainment, books and film, transportation, banking, and uranium production.

"While Canada has no general restrictions on the establishment of new foreign businesses, the Investment Canada Act allows the federal government to review large acquisitions for 'net benefit.'"...

"Most of our trading partners do not have a systemic screening process," the notes state, although they add that those trading partners use other less visible methods to screen out unwanted investments, including security measures.

So just how much investment has been kept out of Canada by the review process? By all indications, only investors who are utterly failing to pay attention to the facts could consider the Investment Canada review to be a significant obstacle:

The current rules for foreign investment in Canada are governed by the Canada Investment Act. Under this act, since 1985, a total of 10,928 foreign acquisitions were reviewed. Stunningly, 87% acquisitions were automatically approved without review and the remaining 13% were reviewed and approved. No proposals brought forward by foreign investors have been rejected.

In other words, the Cons' apparent goal of gutting the Investment Canada process wouldn't have the slightest effect on whether foreign investment is approved. The difference would be the lack of even a pretence of being able to evaluate investments...which would presumably leave Canada in the same position as other countries in having to make up reasons to reject deals if necessary.

From the article, it doesn't sound like there's any strong commitment one way or the other so far. But it'll be one more indication of the power hunger of the Cons if they end up going out of their way to create a less honest and transparent system to deal with foreign investment.