Tony Clement

[Automotive Industry, November 27th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, right now we are gathering the facts that will allow us to make the right decision.

We believe in doing the right thing for the taxpayers. That means making sure that whatever decision we make on any issue affecting economic policy, we have all of the facts on the table. I know that is alien to the shoot, fire, aim gang over there, but on this side of the House, we care about the decisions we make. We want to make sure they are the right decisions for the people of Canada and that they are the right decisions, incidentally, for the auto sector as well.

[Automotive Industry, November 27th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, nothing could be further from the truth. One of my first actions as industry minister was to meet with the Canadian CEOs to get their picture on the situation. I then went to meet the American senior executives and senior policy-makers in Washington. I did so not only alone, on behalf of the Government of Canada, but I had with me the Government of Ontario. We are working in partnership.

Members may know the Premier of Ontario, Dalton McGuinty. He said that we need to be really thoughtful and make sure we get this right, we are talking about what could be a very expensive support package, and if we are going to do this, taxpayers in particular want us to do it right. We are with Dalton.

[Automotive Industry, November 26th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, these kinds of issues affect everybody throughout the country. They affect my riding as much as the hon. member's riding perhaps, or at least in the same industry.

We have been active. The hon. member should know that we created an auto innovation fund, which we have agreed in our platform, in our throne speech, to continue to improve and augment as well. We are there for auto innovation. We are there to ensure that the cars of the future are built, in part at least, in Canada

The fact of the matter is we want long-term solutions and that is exactly what Barack Obama and Dalton McGuinty are saying.

[Automotive Industry, November 26th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I was made aware of this decision just before question period. Of course, I am saddened by the decision, which affects many lives and families in the Newmarket-Aurora area and indeed throughout the GTA. Obviously, we will be there with all the support programs that one would expect from the Government of Canada.

However, we are here to look after the long-term sustainability of an industry as well, which includes the parts industry, about which we are engaged with the auto sector and about which we are engaged with the Government of Ontario. We are also having regard to the situation in Washington.

[Automotive Industry, November 26th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, we on this side of the House are serious about our auto sector and indeed the entire economy. We are not part of the ready-fire-aim gang over there. We are methodically working on the best economic strategy for this country. We are working with our stakeholders. We are working with the auto sector. Members on that side of the House have no plans, no promises, except a car tax and a carbon tax which people in Canada could not afford to pay. That is not good enough anymore.

[Automotive Industry, November 26th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I would remind members of the House that the president-elect, the premier of Ontario and the Prime Minister of this country are all saying the same thing. We need long-term sustainability. We do not need back of the envelope plans. We need a business plan and a business model that will work for the future. Barack Obama is saying that. Dalton McGuinty is saying that. The Prime Minister is saying that, and we are proud of our Prime Minister.

[Automotive Industry, November 26th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, that comes from a leader of a party that voted against all of the things we did for the forestry sector, all of the things we have done already for the auto sector. We are engaged with the auto sector. The member is an individual who, when he was a Toronto councillor, wanted to ban each and every single car in the city of Toronto from getting to the city in the first place. That was his answer for the auto sector. I wonder if the CAW heard of that one.

[The Economy, November 26th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, nothing could be further from the truth. Indeed, a year ago almost, in budget 2008, we started a process of investing in innovation, in science and technology and in our sectoral industries. We added an automotive innovation fund as part of our work to protect the innovation in that sector.

We continue to work with the auto sector and with our provincial counterparts, the Ontario Liberals, in favour of an auto sector that is innovative and competitive for decades to come.

[Aerospace Industry, November 25th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, we have taken action. We have invested several million dollars in the strategic initiative. To date, Lockheed Martin has announced more than $600 million in spending in Quebec. We have supported the industry, and the results bode well for the future of the industry too.

[Aerospace Industry, November 25th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, we have supported the aeronautics industry. Our government has announced a special program for the aeronautics industry. It is also mentioned in the Speech from the Throne.

We have announced programs that are specific to the aeronautics industry and we will continue to support them.