Brown-John: Politics, jobs and Windsor's EV battery factory

Published Dec 15, 2023 • Last updated 9 hours ago • 3 minute read

The NextStar electric vehicle battery plant construction site in Windsor is shown on May 24, 2023. Photo by Dan Janisse /Windsor Star

This local region has three members of Parliament, each representing a different political party. Each brings to their respective roles as an elected MP certain skills and talents.

As he is a representative of a smaller party in the House of Commons, Windsor West NDP MP Brian Masse has much greater leeway to represent constituents than does, for example, Windsor-Tecumseh Liberal MP Irek Kusmierczyk.

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Kusmierczyk is parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages. In my opinion he is well-qualified to hold a more senior rank.

However, his major tasks in this region are to represent the federal government as needed and, when possible, hand out federal money for deserving projects. Costs of the insane bridge blockade should have covered all Windsor’s costs so our Liberal MP still needs to continue fighting for local taxpayers.

We have a third regional MP, Chris Lewis in Essex, who holds the Official Opposition parliamentary title of shadow minister for labour. I would place some stress on the word “shadow” since sometimes with opposition backbenchers, shadows are about all we see of them.

Kusmierczyk has a fairly well-defined role in this region. In addition to handing out federal funds, his responsibilities include attendance at functions where cabinet ministers are involved. As a compassionate and intelligent MP he takes representing constituents very seriously.

Masse is a bright light in the House of Commons. He’s a person capable of defining initiatives and running with them. His lead on an Ojibway urban national park is most praiseworthy and he is a fine constituency representative.

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Lewis also seems to care about his constituents in Essex, though I have found very little in his tenure that might be considered significant. Indeed, his bent towards the extreme right and his rather obscure parliamentary role leaves me wondering what he has achieved for the community.

The strengths of our local MPs took on some meaning in the almost bizarre debate over making public the contract between Stellantis and LG Energy Solutions — partners in the NextStar EV battery factory being built in Windsor — and the Canadian government.

Periodically, newspapers carry legal notices relating to planned hydro developments, zoning applications, invitations to attend a town or county official plan review and so forth. What number of people actually read and/or review such legally required notices?

Hence, if a complex contract between major corporate developers and the Government of Canada was made public, who but competitors or those delving for contractual conspiracies would pay attention?

His Majesty’s Official Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre has a tendency to open his mouth wide on many issues without knowing all the facts. When the issue of overseas personnel being involved in setting up the new EV battery plant became public, Poilievre ranted about Canadian jobs being threatened and demanding a business contract be made public. As the issue clarified, it appears to have been largely a misunderstanding yet Poilievre stuck to his histrionics.

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As the story evolved it became clear that no Canadian jobs were at risk and that the contract, if made public, surely could deter future investors from dealing with the Government of Canada.

Lewis, like any dutiful backbencher, parroted Poilievre’s line despite the fact the NextStar plant is good for Windsor-Essex. Now both Lewis and his leader are out on what appears to be an unsupportable limb. Poilievre is still bellowing in public and in the House of Commons.

Somehow the phrase being “hoist by one’s own petard” comes to mind.

Masse, who initially expressed scepticism about a deal which allegedly offered jobs to non-Canadians, apparently has realized the contract was not bad, so he sought a compromise. For this the Conservatives denounced him.

And on outstanding costs for the Ambassador Bridge blockade, shouldn’t the provincial government also bear some costs, given how important the bridge is for Ontario? Our local area’s Conservative MPPs should push the provincial government to cover some costs of the ludicrous bridge blockade.

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