EXHIBIT E
OPINION AND CONSENT OF GENERAL COUNSEL, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (CANADA),
FINANCE CANADA LAW BRANCH
May 18, 2021
The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, P.C., M.P.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada
K1A 0A6
Dear Minister Freeland:
Subject: | U.S. $3,500,000,000 |
0.750% United States Dollar Bonds due May 19, 2026
I have been requested by the Director, Reserves Management Section, Funds Management Division, Financial Sector Policy Branch, Department of Finance (Canada), to provide you with an opinion relating to the authorization of the issuance of U.S. $3,500,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 0.750% United States Dollar Bonds of Her Majesty in right of Canada (“Canada”) due May 19, 2026 (the “Securities”), to be sold pursuant to an Underwriting Agreement dated as of May 11, 2021 (the “Underwriting Agreement”) between BMO Capital Markets Corp., BofA Securities, Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities plc, Scotia Capital (USA) Inc., and TD Securities (USA) LLC, as representatives for the several underwriters listed in Schedule II thereof (the “Underwriters”), and Canada, as represented by the Minister of Finance.
In connection with the issue of the Securities, Canada proposes to enter into a Fiscal Agency Agreement, to be dated as of May 19, 2021, with Citibank, N.A., as fiscal agent, transfer agent, registrar and principal paying agent (the “Fiscal Agency Agreement”).
I have examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to my satisfaction, of such statutes, documents, certificates of public officials and other instruments relating to the authorization, issuance and sale of the Securities by Canada as I have deemed necessary, including the following:
| (a) | The Borrowing Authority Act, S.C. 2017, c. 20, s. 103, as amended (the “Borrowing Authority Act”); |
| (b) | Order in Council P.C. 2021-0178, dated March 23, 2021, relating to the authorization of the issue and sale of the Securities (the “Order in Council”); |
| (c) | The Fiscal Agency Agreement; and |
| (d) | The form of the Securities appended to the Fiscal Agency Agreement. |
The Director, Reserves Management Section, has represented to me by a certificate dated May 18, 2021, that the Securities are being issued and sold pursuant to the Order in Council and, as of May 19, 2021, after giving effect to the issue and sale of the Securities, the aggregate principal amount of money borrowed by Canada in the 2021-2022 fiscal year pursuant to the Order in Council will not exceed CAD 635 billion and the maximum amount in section 4 of the Borrowing Authority Act, subject to the exceptions at sections 5 and 6 of that Act, will not be exceeded.
In response to the request of the Director, Reserves Management Section, I give it as my opinion as General Counsel, Department of Justice (Canada), that:
| 1. | The Fiscal Agency Agreement has been duly authorized by Canada and, when duly executed and delivered by Canada, assuming the due |