As the country steels itself against U.S. tariffs, Liberal Leader Mark Carney visited Algoma Steel to lay out his party’s plans to protect Canadian workers and industries – just three days before the federal election is set to take place.
Joined by local Liberal incumbent Terry Sheehan, Carney spoke about using Canadian steel in “nation building” projects like ports, bridges, and railways, and using revenue generated by Canada’s counter-tariffs to support workers affected by the trade war, among other measures.
First, however, Carney expressed his regret for Connor Dunn’s tragic death over Easter weekend, after the young Sault Ste. Marie hockey player was hit and killed by a truck in the early hours of Sunday morning.
“I just want to take a moment to offer my deepest condolences to the family of Connor Dunn, the promising local hockey player, and by all accounts incredible young man who was tragically killed on the weekend,” Carney said.
“I know how tight-knit communities such as the Sault are, and how you live and breathe the game … so our thoughts and prayers are very much with you at this time.”
Backdropped by a warehouse full of steel and steel workers on Friday morning, Carney spoke at length about the importance of the plant’s product for his government’s plans should it be re-elected next week.
“Algoma builds what Canada needs right now, and what Canada needs for the future: steel,” he said.
“We need steel to build our rails and our transportation lines, to build out our energy infrastructure. We need steel to build our autos . . . to build our ships. We need high quality Canadian made steel to build greater prosperity.”
Whether using steel to complete domestic defence projects, or in his government’s plans to “double home building” across the country, Carney said his government will employ a “made in Canada procurement strategy” for a variety of projects using an array of materials.
Doing so, he said, “will safeguard our economy and our values” from the looming threat posed by the United States.
Whether in the form of tariffs on the steel and auto sectors, or President Trump’s resurgent ‘51st state’ comments about Canada, Carney said the U.S. administration poses the “biggest crisis of our lifetimes.”
“He's threatening Canadian workers in auto manufacturing and workers throughout the industry's supply chain, including here at Algoma,” he said.
“Let me be equally clear: this is Canada. We decide what we do here. The president's latest comments are more proof, as if we needed any, that the old relationship with the United States that we've had is over.”
Beyond positioning his campaign as a direct response to the Trump administration, Carney also positioned himself as the far superior candidate to Pierre Poilievre.
“Pierre Poilievre has no plan to stand up to President Trump. He's literally grasping at straws,” he said.
“Unlike Pierre Poilievre, I've managed budgets before. I've managed economies before. I've managed crises before. This is a time for experience, not experiments.”
During his remarks, Carney highlighted how government investments have helped bring the new electric arc furnaces – which are not yet operating – to Algoma Steel, which will bring a “70-per-cent reduction in carbon” to the plants operations.
SooToday asked Carney whether his government would consider exempting industries from the industrial carbon tax that’s still in place, especially for companies like Algoma Steel, which are just a couple years away from dramatically reducing their carbon footprint while facing a dire outlook from U.S. tariffs on steel.
“There's a value to that industrial carbon tax, and the predictability of that tax. The certainty around it encourages the types of investments that help companies such as Algoma leapfrog their competitors and leapfrog, in many cases, their American competitors, international competitors, and Algoma is on the cusp of realizing the benefits of these investments,” Carney responded said.
“As the (electric arc furnace) comes online, they have low carbon production, and we're going to reinforce those benefits, including with our trade strategy, to make sure that's the case.”
Carney added that all revenue generated by tariffs will be reinvested into “workers and companies that are most affected,” which will include “continuing to improve the competitiveness of these companies.”