The headwinds and potential ahead for Carney's economic ambitions

Canada now knows who will lead the country as it confronts this nation-defining economic moment, but uncertainty is still the word of the year.
'We are going to build baby, build,' said Prime Minister Mark Carney in his late-night victory speech after the Liberal party won, four seats short of a majority.
'We will need to do things thought impossible, faster than expected.'
While Carney struck an optimistic and confident tone, economists say steering a minority government will likely mean more distractions, more spending, and more uncertainty as he takes on the ambitious task of tackling not only the immediate challenge of U.S. tariffs, but also long-simmering issues like productivity, trade diversification, and a Canadian economy that often aims too small.
'The fact that we have a minority government is not the best result, given the somewhat of an emergency economic situation that Canada is facing,' said Michael Dobner, PwC Canada's national leader of economics and policy practice.
Carney, along with the Conservatives, was right in emphasizing the importance of making regulations work better and building the infrastructure to help business grow, Dobner said. But efforts to streamline rules and accelerate project approvals could clash with those the government will presumably have to rely on to help push its agenda, he added.
'I'm concerned that with the NDP having the balance of power, it will be very attuned to those voices that for sure will come, and that will slow down that process that needs to move very quickly if we want to be able to become, I would say, more self-sufficient.'
Along with building infrastructure, Carney has also emphasized the need to diversify trade. But Dobner said the crucial part to succeed in that will be to create the intellectual property and manufacturing heft needed for Canada to sell its own products.
'Canada has currently more free trade agreements than any of the G7,' said Dobner.
'The issue is not having free trade agreements. The issue is whether we have something to sell to the world.'
Convincing businesses to invest in research, machinery and everything required to boost productivity and product offerings will also face the challenge of the Canadian and global economic slowdown being brought about by U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs.
Economic data out this past week showed the U.S. economy shrank 0.3 per cent in the first quarter, while Canada's pulled back by 0.2 per cent in February.
While there's a lot that went into those retreats, including higher imports and weather challenges, the numbers confirm a slowing of momentum, said Dawn Desjardins, chief economist at Deloitte Canada.
'The key thing here is just the sense that everyone is extremely nervous,' she said.
'Consumers are not going to be spending on big ticket items ... Businesses are saying, 'Hey, the lay of this land is very uncertain for me. I don't know how my sales projections are going to be, I'm probably not going to be putting money to work in the immediate term.''
The hesitancy could lead Canada's GDP to shrink 1.1 per cent in the second quarter and 0.9 per cent in the third quarter, while unemployment could hit 7.5 per cent, according to an outlook from Deloitte released last week.
An economic slowdown in the U.S. will also mean lower demand for exports, while the housing market in Canada was already slumping, leaving few places to look for optimism, said Desjardins.
'It's really tough sledding in the immediate term.'
Carney's big stimulus spending plans, totalling $129 billion in new commitments over four years, is aiming to counter those pressures.
Canada has some fiscal room to increase spending, but the country's gross debt is creeping up so it's important the money is targeted and well thought-out, said Desjardins.
'It has to be investments for the future,' she said.
The Liberal plan is heavily focused on building, including in defence, housing and trade infrastructure such as ports and highways that could help spur more private investment. Overall, the government is hoping to leverage $150 billion in public funds to mobilize $500 billion in investment over five years.
'The plan on paper should provide a boost to longer-term growth,' said Rebekah Young, head of resilience economics at Scotiabank, in a note.
But like others, she cautioned about the challenges in seeing the plans come to fruition because of a range of challenges, most notably that minority government.
'It would be brash to pencil in full economic effects of the platform,' said Young.
'Even deft alliance-building would still warrant caution. Policies are yet to be enacted, infrastructure-related projects are notoriously slow within Canada's complex multi-jurisdictional framework, and energy-related ones even more uncertain in a highly polarized environment.'
She said Carney has his work cut out for him as he takes on the weakening economy, headwinds from abroad, the limits of federal power and the need to motivative business to 'go big' on Canada amid uncharted uncertainty.
'There is a reasonable risk of a rapid and disorderly deterioration.'
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 4, 2025.

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Highlights During and After the Quarter During the three months ended April 30, 2025: • On February 9, 2025, the Company provided an update on a Rapid Development Plan ('RDP') for Norra Kärr, to be in production in the shortest possible timeframe, supplying HREE-rich eudialyte concentrate and industrial mineral nepheline syenite. • The Company provided an update on the value creation options being considered for Woxna Graphite, on February 16, 2025, including a possible restart of operations, the production of high-quality flake graphite concentrate. • On March 23, 2025, the Company provided a progress update on Norra Kärr, in the context of the European Commission's ('EC') Joint White Paper for European Readiness 2030, highlighting the increasing geopolitical competition over critical raw materials ('CRMs') and the need for the EU and its member states to build strategic reserves of raw materials. • On March 25, 2025, the EU announced its first list of Strategic Projects under the Critical Raw Materials Act ('CRMA'); Norra Kärr was not included. The Company stated its plan to reapply in the next round of applications. • On April 23, 2025, the Company announced granting of stock options (the 'Options') to directors, officers and consultants of the Company to purchase an aggregate of 6,850,000 common shares (the 'Optioned Shares') of the Company, at exercise price of C$0.24 per Optioned Share, expiring on the date that is 5 years from the date of grant for directors and officers and three years from the date of grant for consultants. The Options will vest 33% on the date of the grant, 33% one year after the date of grant and 34% two years after the date of grant. The Options were issued pursuant to the terms of the Company's Option Plan. Results of Operations Three Months Ended April 30, 2025, Compared to Three Months Ended January 31, 2025 During the three months ended April 30, 2025 ('Q2 2025') the Company reported a net loss of $1,179,168 compared to a reported net loss of $669,216 for the three months ended January 31, 2025 ('Q1 2025'), an increase in loss by $509,952, the increase in loss mainly due to share based compensation expenses of $585,529 (Q1 2025 – $129,292) and foreign exchange loss of $117,063 (Q1 2025 – gain $1,690). Three Months Ended April 30, 2025, Compared to Three Months Ended April 30, 2024 During the three months ended April 30, 2025 ('2025 period'), the Company reported a net loss of $1,179,168 compared to a net loss of $859,529 for the three months ended April 30, 2024 ('2024 period'), an increase in loss of $319,639, the increase in loss mainly due to share based compensation expenses of $585,529 (Q2 2024 – $349,923) and foreign exchange loss of $117,063 (Q2 2024 – $5,754). Selected Financial Data The following selected financial information is derived from the unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements of the Company prepared in accordance with IFRS. Fiscal 2025 Fiscal 2024 Fiscal 2023 Three Months Ended April 30,2025 $ January 31,2025 $ October 31,2024 $ July 31,2024 $ April 30,2024 $ January 31,2024 $ October 31,2023(Restated) $ July 31,2023(Restated) $ Operations Expenses (1,070,402) (696,037) (97,209) (797,070) (863,745) (660,617) (457,890) (309,832) Other items (108,766) 26,821 (222,820) (25,168) 4,216 (25,311) 195,209 (8,442) Comprehensive profit/(loss) (1,179,168) (669,216) (320,029) (822,238) (859,529) (685,928) (262,681) (318,274) Basic Profit/(loss) per share (0.01) (0.00) (0.00) (0.00) (0.01) (0.00) (0.00) (0.00) Diluted profit/(loss) per share (0.01) (0.00) (0.00) (0.00) (0.01) (0.00) (0.00) (0.00) Financial Position Working capital 1,191,514 2,198,641 3,337,686 3,973,458 1,610,635 2,316,098 2,713,098 848,952 Total assets 28,361,774 28,480,311 29,343,716 28,454,783 24,991,481 26,003,943 25,512,111 23,588,662 Total non-current liabilities (6,009,933) (5,596,369) (5,641,854) (5,683,545) (5,101,289) (5,489,843) (4,670,790) (5,109,575) Financial Condition / Capital Resources During the three months ended April 30, 2025, the Company recorded a net loss of $1,179,168 and, as of April 30, 2025, the Company had an accumulated deficit of $51,201,042 and working capital of $1,191,514. The Company maintains its Woxna Graphite mine in a 'production-ready' basis while minimizing costs. The Company is also evaluating a potential restart of flake graphite concentrate production. The Company anticipates that it has sufficient funding to meet anticipated levels of corporate administration and overheads for the ensuing twelve months however, it will need additional capital to provide working capital and recommence operations at the Woxna Graphite, to fund future development of the Norra Kärr project or to complete exploration activities in Romania. There is no assurance such additional capital will be available to the Company on acceptable terms or at all. In the longer term the recoverability of the carrying value of the Company's long-lived assets is dependent upon the Company's ability to preserve its interest in the underlying mineral property interests, the discovery of economically recoverable reserves, the achievement of profitable operations and the ability of the Company to obtain financing to support its ongoing exploration programs and mining operations. Outlook Concerns about critical raw materials – security of supply, supply chain resilience and defence requirements – have been recurring themes at conferences attended by the Company in recent months, with HREEs and natural graphite frequently mentioned; geopolitical uncertainties continue, with more talk about the weaponization of global trade in rare earth elements. On June 17, 2025, the G7 Critical Minerals Action Plan was announced focused on 'diversifying the responsible production and supply of critical minerals, encouraging investments in critical mineral projects and local value creation, and promoting innovation' in the G7, and with partners beyond, working together and 'to swiftly protect our economic and national security''. Against this backdrop and calls for more action to match the intent of the CRMA, the Company's portfolio is well positioned. Woxna Graphite Mine The Company maintains the Woxna Graphite Mine in a production-ready state while minimizing holding costs. An internal study completed in early 2022 assessed the potential for restarting operations and upgrading the processing plant to produce high-quality flake graphite concentrate. Work is now underway to update this study, forming the basis of a business plan to support possible project financing, customer prepayments, and access to Swedish or EU public funding, and, in addition. Highlighting Sweden's role in CRMs and graphite's importance, Sweden's Energy, Business and Industry Minister Ebba Busch recently stated that 'Sweden has unique opportunities to be and remain a strong player in global mineral politics. We have the most sustainable mining industry in the world – ethically sustainable, environmentally sustainable, and with good working conditions. The graphite that [Talga Group] is planning to produce is a key material in battery manufacturing and the green transition to a fossil-fuel-free society.' Norra Kärr Heavy Rare Earth Element ('HREE') Project As part of its Pre-feasibility ('PFS') workstreams, the Company is developing a Rapid Development Plan ('RDP') for Norra Kärr to enable the earliest possible production of HREE-rich eudialyte concentrate and industrial mineral nepheline syenite. A phased, small-scale start is under consideration to allow early access to the deposit, initial sales of nepheline syenite, early cash flow, and stockpiling of eudialyte concentrate for future processing. This approach is designed to reduce both risk and environmental impacts. Testwork has now been completed on nepheline syenite and aegirine to determine their mineralogy, chemical composition, and leachate chemistry. The promising results are being used to determine possible market segments and specifications that can be achieved, potential demand and pricing, to be included in an updated PFS economic model for Norra Kärr. The Company envisages the PFS will be completed in Q1 2026. On 24 March 2025, the EU announced its first list of Strategic Projects under the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA); Norra Kärr was not included. The Company plans to reapply in the next round of applications having continued to make significant progress since the last application was submitted in August 2024. In recent months, the Company's application for a new Exploitation Concession ('Bearbetningskoncession') 25-year mining lease has been out for consultation with County Administrative Boards ('CAB') and municipalities. The Company understands that CAB opinions have been received by the Mining Inspectorate ('Bergsstaten'). The Company will have an opportunity to respond to opinions and comments. Bihor Sud Nickel-Cobalt Exploration Project Exploration activities at the Bihor Sud project have continued, supported by the hard work of the four new geologists who joined the team in January. Works have included underground mapping, diamond drilling, geophysics, core logging, and sampling. The Company's goal remains to define a large-scale, mineable mineral resource; in gallery G2, targeting promising Zinc-Lead-Copper-Silver mineralization. Results to date are encouraging and underscore the project's strong potential for a significant polymetallic discovery. Financial Information The report for three months ending July 31, 2025, is expected to be published on or about September 19, 2025. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Leading Edge Materials Corp. Kurt Budge, CEO For further information, please contact the Company at: [email protected] Follow usTwitter: Linkedin: About Leading Edge Materials Leading Edge Materials is a Canadian public company focused on developing a portfolio of critical raw material projects located in the European Union. Critical raw materials are determined as such by the European Union based on their economic importance and supply risk. They are directly linked to high growth technologies such as lithium-ion batteries and permanent magnets for electric motors, wind turbines and defense applications. The portfolio of projects includes the 100% owned Woxna Graphite mine (Sweden), 100% owned Norra Kärr Heavy Rare Earth Elements project (Sweden), and the 51% owned Bihor Sud Nickel Cobalt exploration alliance (Romania). Additional Information The information was submitted for publication through the agency of the contact person set out above, on June 20, 2025, at 2:30 PM Vancouver time. Leading Edge Materials is listed on the TSXV under the symbol 'LEM', OTCQB under the symbol 'LEMIF' and Nasdaq First North Stockholm under the symbol 'LEMSE'. Svensk Kapitalmarknadsgranskning ('SKMG') is the Company's Certified Adviser for the Nasdaq First North Growth Market (Stockholm) and may be contacted via email [email protected] or by phone +46 (0)8 913 008. Reader Advisory This news release may contain statements which constitute 'forward-looking information', including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company, its directors, or its officers with respect to the future business activities of the Company. The words 'may', 'would', 'could', 'will', 'intend', 'plan', 'anticipate', 'believe', 'estimate', 'expect' and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future business activities and involve risks and uncertainties, and that the Company's future business activities may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, fluctuations in market prices, changes in the Company's intended use of proceeds from the Private Placement, successes of the operations of the Company, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such information will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. The Company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking information except as required under the applicable securities laws. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Attachments LEM – News Release Financial Results – April 30, 2025 Financial Report Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same. Ahmedabad Plane Crash GlobeNewswire provides press release distribution services globally, with substantial operations in North America and Europe.