Windsor-Tecumseh MP Irek Kusmierczyk hopes to clarify reports in the Toronto Star on talks to save the NextStar EV battery plant.
First, he said there is no deal, but one is very close.
Second, he believes when the deal is signed, Windsor-Essex residents will have a better understanding of how the plant fits into a national plan to move Canada toward a carbon-neutral economy.
The Toronto Star reported a deal between Stellantis, the federal government and the provincial government on Wednesday. It said Stellantis would receive more than $13-billion in government subsidies, similar to what Volkswagen was promised for its gigafactory in St. Thomas.
Very little activity is seen at the EV battery plant site in east Windsor, after Stellantis confirmed construction had stopped, May 15, 2023. Photo by Mark Brown/WindsorNewsToday.ca.
There were some details Kusmierczyk refused to share with reporters on Thursday, saying while the deal was imminent, officials don't want to jeopardize the progress made in negotiations.
"I'm trying to be very careful here and just steady on the rudder because again, there is just so much at stake here," he said. "We are so, so close."
Kusmierczyk acknowledged the past three weeks, when the Toronto Star reported Stellantis was accusing the federal government of not living up to its promises, have been trying. Stellantis confirmed the report, said Ottawa had failed to match supports in the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, and announced it was reviewing its contingency plans.
Anxiety in the region ratcheted up each day the construction site for the module plant on Banwell Road remained silent. Windsor's Mayor lamented the city's future, while Unifor Local 444 President Dave Cassidy called the impasse an embarrassment.
Kusmierczyk said the negotiations were tough, but he had no doubts.
"These are normal negotiations, tough negotiations, because of what is at stake, because of the scale of the investments" he explained. "The community and the public got a chance to see, tough negotiations, what they are like."
What's clear is the federal government's plan spans well beyond gigafactories in Windsor and St. Thomas. Kusmiercyzk said it includes mineral mining in the north, cathode production in Quebec, battery manufacture in Windsor and St. Thomas, and assembly in Windsor, Brampton, and elsewhere.
"The [Inflation Reduction Act] is a catalyst to an incredible re-industrialization of the American Heartland," he explained. "You're seeing battery plants, semi-conductor plants, and electric vehicle manufacturing plants being announced on an almost weekly basis -- who's going to supply that? It's going to be us."
You can listen to the full interview with Irek Kusmierczyk below.
[audio mp3="https://blackburnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/IREK-KUSMIERCZYK-JUNE-1-2023.mp3"][/audio]
