One-on-one with Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne | Power Play with Vassy Kapelos

It’s the last standing liberal provincial Premier opposing the Cornerstone of the federal liberal government’s climate plan the national price on carbon it’s scheduled to increase from $65 to 80 on April 1st but Fury is echoing conservative Premier and now calling for a pause on that price hike another part though of the fed’s

Environmental plan focusing on building an economy of the future in tandem but at times at odds with the US President Joe Biden South of the Border has set the stakes with a massive business subsidy package meant to incentivize that transition but it’s meant Canada has to put up big bucks to convince

Companies to come here not to the US leading that effort is federal industry Minister franois Philip champagne who the Prime Minister has also tasked to lead Team Canada round two the impetus for round two none other than the reason for round one Donald Trump the now solidified GOP nominee Minister

Champagne has been in the US all week taking meetings against that backdrop and he’s with us from Washington DC live now hi Minister good to see see you thank you so much for making the time well it’s great to talk to you from Washington vashi I I wanted to start off on the

Prospect of Donald Trump who is now for all effective purposes the the GOP nominee in your view Minister as someone who is leading the team Canada efforts what are the odds of him winning well I would say first of all I’m doing that with Mr Ang and Ambassador Hillman or Ambassador uh ER

In Washington listen the message that we’re bringing about Kang ding the dots is not a partisan message you know I can tell you I met with the Republican governor democrat uh Senators uh when you talk about Economic Security when you talk about supply chain resiliency when you talk about National Security

That’s a message that is heard by everyone and and what I’m saying to them is that this is not just a a nice relationship to have this is a strategic relationship for the United States it’s the essential relationship I would say and I can tell you you know we’ve been

Working with with uh Republican Administration we’ve been working with Democrat Administration uh this team in Ottawa knows how to do that ministers have been engaged I was there Minister Freeland others have been thereout the time uh we know how to engage with uh our our counterparts here in Washington

But more importantly this is not just about Washington uh I purposely we started in Windsor went to Detroit the Mayors mayor of Cleveland Ohio went to Atlanta and Georgia met with the governor uh this morning morning I was with the South Carolina governor and know what’s interesting V all of them

Have received also massive Investments uh in terms of the EV sector and the battery ecosystem but what I told them is that we are interdependent because you know what the critical minerals you need to produce these batteries and these cars are coming from Canada Canada produced the semiconductors Or the

Critical mineral for that so what I’m hearing from both of them is that uh regardless who’s going to be in the White House this is about Economic Security which is National Security and that’s a message that resonates in Washington I I guess what I wonder though uh Minister and I and I certainly

Do take the point that you’re taking meetings with both Republicans and Democrats I looked to the list for example of Republicans you met with including the governor of Georgia you would not describe him as a supporter of Donald Trump have you engaged at all with the people who are allies of Donald

Trump because to say republican is is quite a big uh umbrella and it no longer encompasses the the people really who support Donald Trump who could effectively be in the White House no I I me honestly vashi the list is long because they say I’ve been on

The road for 10 days but I’ve met people who have been even part of those who have been drafting for example a a a project you know that I think it’s called project 2025 so people have been engaged uh on either the Republican side or or the Democrat I was at the safe

Summit this morning uh you you find a lot of you know ex-generals you find people who are really on both side honestly because the message about the uniqueness of the relationship this essential relationship resonates uh if you talk to to Republican they see that as as business they see that this is about

Future proofing revenues and businesses and what they need when you talk to our uh people uh which are closer to President Biden uh they see that as being aligned with the United States which we are so honestly that message resonates because it’s about jobs millions of jobs depend but one thing is

That we need to connect the dots for them because not everyone here or I would say very few people even wake up in the morning thinking about Canada and when you make the case and you say by the way you know for example Michigan Canada is the largest export Market but

It’s bigger than the 13 other markets combine so when you go there you’re the big guy because people say wow this is Canada we need to engage strategically so I’m trying to move from just you know like it’s a nice relationship we take that for granted that it’s a strategic

Relationship that we need to nurture on both side of the border and and I certainly understand that and I and I understand uh the argument that you’re putting forth but I guess what I’m I’m curious about on behalf of Canadians is the degree to which you are making that argument to

People who have not necessarily demonstrated any receptiveness to it and by that I mean all the arguments that were put forth for example around steel tariffs to president Donald Trump then president Donald Trump failed to I mean ultimately did convince him but failed to initially and and for a while with

Great damage convince him of the logic of what he was doing and so I’m curious as whether as to whether you are using that logic or using those arguments with people who are around Donald Trump right now or just Republicans and Democrats who don’t support

Him well I I would say it’s a broad spectrum uh vashi but I’ll give you an example I was with the governor of of of North Carolina this morning and I was saying governor it’s great that you have for example the BMW plan in North Carolina but did you know that the

Aluminium that is used to manufacture BMW in North America is coming from Canada this is coming from riotto sagne in Quebec the green aluminium you’re using at BMW in spotland Bach which is a city in in in in South Carolina happens to come from Canada so I was saying the

Resiliency of that investment in your state is depending on what we’re doing together then I went on with example with each of them and and to your point Vash I’ve been talking to a number of people who are advising on both side uh making sure that that message is heard

And you know what like I said it’s the same message but it’s kind of understood differently but one thing is clear when you’re in Washington or when you’re in the United States when you talk about Economic Security National Security supply chain resiliency making sure that proximity Is King that that you’re we’re

Going to work together we’re going to be very strong also to make sure that we protect the Integrity of Key Supply Chain semiconductor biomanufacturing that resonates I can tell you cosos are telling me supply chain supply chain supply chain and when you say Canada is the key partner for that uh that’s

Really a message I could say for all of those that I’ve been talking to I was with the business Round Table representing 200 of the largest CEO in America and and I was with their leadership uh they had what eight people around the table I said Minister we get

It we need to work together we need to engage with each other and that’s what we’re going to continue to do obviously with them just quickly I’d point out Minister when you when you highlight for example your meetings with the governor of North Carolina he is a Democrat I I do want to

Move because you sorry no I meant I meant South Carolina sorry if I mpoke not the governor of South Carolina okay understood I just want to move on then to a domestic issue because you have been also one of the ministerial leads when it comes to the government’s agenda to address the cost

Of living uh the premier of new Finland and Labrador a liberal Andrew Fury is now today calling on your government to pause the increase to the carbon tax slated for April the 1st will you consider that listen I I I like Premier Fury I’ve

Known him for a long time but I think uh we have been very clear that a price on pollution is the right thing to do it brings more money in the pocket of Canadians that that Vision uh that approach uh has been clear from the start the Prime Minister has been clear

I hear his voice but I think that you know we have a plan to fight climate change uh we have been clear with Canadians uh all along a and honestly I think that uh Canadians understand that the plan is working it’s going to bring more money in the pockets of Canadians

And we’re going to continue to do that because you know what this is an investment in in the future this is an investment that has allow us also to track investment in Canada because people see these Canadians are serious about fighting climate change so I I would be

Happy to engage with Premier Fury I’ll see him soon but I can tell you we’re going to continue to do what’s right for the country not only now but for the future Minister though the premier’s point is that he is not uh like you characterize many of your opponents on

The carbon tax uh against the issue of mitigating climate change that he takes it very seriously but at the same time people in New Finland and lavador and many of the other provinces in which this carbon tax applies are dealing with a high rate of inflation uh High

Interest rates and he’s simply asking your government to pause the increase until interest rates go down and inflation stabilizes why won’t you at least consider that are you so ideologically wedded to it that you can’t listen to the premier who are saying it is adding

To the burden of the cost of living for the people who live in their provinces listen I understand the issue about cost of living Vash I’ve been the one with colleagues who have been fighting all along to make sure that life is more affordable for Canadians I

Took on for example the grocery sector and the big chains to make sure that people can afford grocery I keep on that fight uh we’re going to be I’m going to even bring that at the G7 meeting that I’m going this evening uh to make sure that we start start seeing competition

Issues making sure uh that that life is more affable I get that you know I come from rural Canada I know that people talk to me but at the same time uh people that I meet industry and understand that we need also to be fighting climate change that the price

On pollution is the best way it’s been tested uh to make sure that uh you know we we we have the the right framework to make sure that we drive the right Behavior but at the same time that we send the P the money back in the pocket

Of Canadians so uh this is a system that it’s working and and Canadians understand that respectfully Minister do Canadians actually see that it’s working the auditor general pointed out that your government has not attached a specific emissions reductions Target to the price on carbon that you have not produced

Evidence NDP pre the NDP premier of Manitoba said the same thing the people associated with the provincial NDP in both saskatch and Alberta have raised the same concerns now your liberal colleague is also calling into a question the exactly what you’re trying to argue even the Parliamentary budget

Officer has said when you take into account all the indirect costs slightly more Canadians are worse off than better off because of the carbon tax again why are you so ideologically wedded to it that you can’t just wait until inflation stabilizes and press pause for a moment listen it’s not about ideology

It’s about the planet Vash I’d say that the fact that we have a plant to fight climate change has brought billions of investment in this country people understand you know we set ourself to be the green Supply CH of choice to the world whether it’s green aluminium green steel green batteries Green

Semiconductor that’s that’s what we’re known for uh this has attracted investment and make sure that you know we position Canada as a leader in the world and and DEC carbonizing Industries is a trend look in Alberta we have idleberg for example we’re going to have the first green cement plant in the

World Dow Chemical decided to put their plan in forces catch in Alberta why because they want to have the greenest propi land plant in the world so that system is working it’s bringing money in the pockets of Canadians and I think the vast majority of Canadians agree that we

Need to keep on and fighting climate change is the right thing to do for the planets the right thing to do for our kids and we can do it in a sensible way making sure that we drive the right and the right behavior that gives money back

In the pockets of Canadians I respect my colleagues you know I talk with all the premiers in Canada for sure uh but at the same time we need uh to make sure that we take the right decision uh for now but also for the future of this nation just very quickly Minister you’re

Standing in Washington DC your government has hailed the climate policy of this white house administration as incredibly serious it is also attracting the investment that you talk about and it is doing so without a consumer carbon tax again why not consider well I would say what has been

Attracting investment in Canada is the talents the talent of our people it’s the ecosystem we have whether it’s the Aerospace industry and the natural resources it was just in Calgary a few days ago it’s the critical minimals we have the proximity well listen I I think that

Well I mean there’s different things in a sense they see that we serious on fighting climate change but you were asking me broadly how do we attract investment is our people it’s the fact that we have ecosystem we have the critical mineral renewable energy and access to Market and the fact that they

See Canada as the listen I was giving you the example of South Carolina imagine the cars Manufacturing in South Carolina at BMW use aluminium which is produced in Quebec which is the greenest aluminum in the world that’s an example of why our policies and the investment we’ve been driven is is helping this

Economic Security when I said that to the governor I must tell you you should have seen he even gave me his phone number so that tells you about the relationship when they see these things they say well we are interdependent we need to work together we need to bring

This investment together we have a chance in a generation to attract uh investment in North America that’s what we’re doing okay Minister I’ll leave it on that note thank you very much for your time this evening I appreciate it and safe travels it’s always a pleasure to see

You and thank you again for having me

Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne says the relationship with the U.S. remains ‘strategic’, regardless of who becomes president.

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