QUESTION PERIOD — Ministry of Jobs and Families
Steel Industry
December 9, 2025
Minister, last week on TV, you stated there was full transparency regarding Algoma Steel’s planned layoffs, despite your government’s nearly $500-million financing agreement with the company. But the truth is that your government never told Canadians that you knew about these impending job losses. We only found out because Algoma Steel’s CEO disclosed it publicly.
Minister, if transparency were truly your intent, why were Canadians not informed that your government approved this loan while being aware that significant layoffs were coming? Is this, again, the fault of climate change?
When our steel industry is under threat, it’s a threat to our sovereignty. This government knows that without a strong steel sector, we cannot build up our military. We can’t build the infrastructure we need if we are reliant on foreign steel to do that building. This is something that Conservative members of Parliament in the other place fail to recognize. This is ensuring that we save critical industries that are essential to the future of Canada. This is a Canadian company, and 1,700 jobs have been saved at Algoma Steel. Algoma Steel is looking at new products and, in fact, has new customers lined up. That’s good news, not just for Algoma Steel and the corporation but also for Canada and for the workers of Sault Ste. Marie who will be there to create those products with that company.
I’m proud of the work we’re doing to save the steel industry, and we’ll continue to do that work.
Minister, you can save the partisan talking points for the other place. This place likes to deal with facts.
Minister, your government has committed enormous sums to major corporations, with troubling results. I’ll share some with you: $15.5 billion to Stellantis, which was followed by 3,000 layoffs; $500 million to Algoma Steel, which was followed by 1,000 layoffs; and $1.34 billion to Northvolt, only for the company to enter bankruptcy.
Why does your government insist on spending taxpayer dollars on risky corporate handouts when these decisions are repeatedly leading to lost jobs and significant losses to taxpayers?
Thank you for the question.
I would say that we continue to bet on Canada. We’re betting on Canadian companies, and we’re betting on Canadian workers. We’re ensuring that Canadians have what they need to get through this difficult time. Make no mistake, Canada will emerge stronger from this, and it will be because they have a Liberal government and a Prime Minister focused on ensuring that we protect Canadian companies and workers to deliver the goods and the infrastructure that we need.
