Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister, for joining us today at this important meeting.
Last June 2, the Minister of Industry, Mélanie Joly, said that Ottawa was committed to using Canadian steel and aluminum for its national infrastructure and defence projects. Those announcements flooded the media. She toured a large number of steel mills across the country, with lots of photos and press conferences along the way.
Two weeks later, we found out that the Canada Infrastructure Bank had provided $1 billion to have ships built at a Chinese shipyard, by Chinese workers and using Chinese steel, but paid for with Canadian money.
In your opinion, has your government betrayed Canadian steelworkers?