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Algoma Steel layoffs raised in House of Commons

Algoma Steel's announcement of 600 layoffs over the next 90 days was raised in the House of Commons today by NDP Parliamentary Leader Bill Blaikie (shown).
BillBlaikie

Algoma Steel's announcement of 600 layoffs over the next 90 days was raised in the House of Commons today by NDP Parliamentary Leader Bill Blaikie (shown).

The following is a transcript of Blaikie's brief exchange with Murray Calder, parliamentary secretary to the federal minister for international trade:

**************************************************************** Mr. Bill Blaikie (Winnipeg-Transcona, NDP):

Mr. Speaker, we are talking about supporting Canadian sovereignty.

We certainly hope that on the softwood lumber file the Liberals have more luck than they did when Mr. Spliff went to Washington.

He came back with an American drug policy but unfortunately what he did not come back with is an American steel policy because the Americans do something about steel dumping. They defend their steel workers.

This government is allowing 600 jobs at Algoma Steel to disappear in Ontario because it will not do what the industry and the union have recommended.

When is the government going to stand up for steel workers in this country?

Mr. Murray Calder (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for International Trade, Lib.):

Mr. Speaker, I understand that Algoma has made this difficult decision.

Canadian producers believe that they are being injured by dumped or subsidized imports access to Canada's anti-dumping and countervail rules.

With respect to the CITT safeguard recommendations, the government continues to carefully survey all its options and the Government of Canada remains an active participant at the OECD high level meetings on over capacity and subsidies which is the root of the problem.

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David Helwig

About the Author: David Helwig

David Helwig's journalism career spans seven decades beginning in the 1960s. His work has been recognized with national and international awards.
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