Liberal incumbent calls out Conservative candidate for skipping Sault Ste. Marie-Algoma debate

Jonathan Migneault · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 15, 2025 9:37 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

Liberal campaigner Terry Sheehan called retired the lack of his Conservative adversary, Hugh Stevenson, during an all-candidates statement for the riding of Sault Ste. Marie-Algoma connected April 15.

"The soundlessness is deafening," said Sheehan, who is the incumbent for the erstwhile riding of Sault Ste. Marie, which has been expanded to see surrounding communities successful the Algoma district.

"I've participated successful a batch of these debates, but I've ne'er seen a campaigner not amusement up similar this, ever."

NDP campaigner Laura Mayer, Green Party campaigner Robyn Kiki Eshkibok and Christian Heritage Party of Canada campaigner James Collins each participated successful the debate, organized by the Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce.

Many questions were focused connected the system and however each enactment would respond to tariff threats from the United States.

Each campaigner spoke successful turn, without immoderate back-and-forth discussions, oregon interruptions, connected the issues astatine hand.

Sheehan called this predetermination unprecedented due to the fact that of tariffs imposed by U.S. president Donald Trump, which person deed Sault Ste. Marie's alloy manufacture particularly hard.

"We tin nary longer beryllium reliant connected the United States," helium said.

Sheehan said a Liberal authorities would interruption down inter-provincial commercialized barriers, which would assistance marque Sault Ste. Marie an important proscription hub for resources.

Mayer, the NDP candidate, said her enactment would make a accelerated effect task unit to assistance enactment Canadians affected by tariffs and would guarantee immoderate revenues from Canadian counter-tariffs would spell straight to workers.

"They request to beryllium astir the idiosyncratic to guarantee we're not lone doing bailouts that payment corporations," she said.

Eshkibok said the Green Party would make a strategical reserve of earthy resources similar softwood lumber to "protect Canadian interests, stabilize prices and revitalize home industries."

Collins said the Christian Heritage Party of Canada would absorption connected removing authorities reddish tape, paying down the shortage and cutting backmost investments successful backstage industry.

Overlooked issues

Debate moderator Robert Burns asked the candidates what they believed was the astir overlooked contented successful the riding.

Mayer said that successful her presumption it was assemblage safety.

"Economic instability and the deficiency of hopefulness has led to an summation successful crime, has led to an summation successful opioid epidemics," she said.

Mayer said creating much economical opportunities successful the portion would assistance code those issues.

Eshkibok said she was moving successful the run due to the fact that each levels of authorities failed her erstwhile she experienced homelessness successful Sault Ste. Marie.

"At the extremity of the day, everyone deserves a safe, lukewarm spot to remainder their head. Nobody should spell without," she said.