Thank you for the question. I've been significantly involved in the auto industry since I became the minister. In one of my earliest meetings I spent time with the CAPC executive, and more recently with the whole council. I've read everything I can get my hands on relative to the auto industry. I even checked myself in as an auto part at one point and travelled across the border in a Linamar truck to have a better appreciation of the challenges faced at the Detroit-Windsor crossing, which is an essential element of Canadian competitiveness. Everyone appreciates that the challenge here is that the industry is a North American one, and we need to be competitive and ensure our competitiveness across borders.
We've been very successful as a nation in automobile assembly. One out of every six vehicles in North American is assembled in Canada. It's something we've excelled at. There are those who view this as not being an industry of the future, but I don't agree with that. It is something that we've always distinguished ourselves at; in fact, we are among the best people in the world. It doesn't matter which auto company you look at, their Canadian assembly plants are among the most productive anywhere in the world, and they take great pride in them.
Our action plan is constructed to ensure that Canada's automotive sector remains not only viable but on the competitive edge for future success. There are four elements that have been included in that. First is the creation of a sound fiscal framework within which industry can compete. Second is supporting the integration of the North American industry, because the industry will require fuel standards, safety standards, and so on, that work together in a harmonious way so we can compete with vehicles and producers from elsewhere in the world. Third is investing in research and development. Fourth is the creation of an automotive innovation fund.
Advantage Canada is central to all of that, but you're quite right that recently in a speech in Toronto I outlined in more detail the specific components of our strategy or action plan relative to the automotive sector.
In closing, I will say parenthetically that there will be challenging times from time to time, and the next year may raise some challenges in the automotive sector. But I'm confident that the Canadian industry will rise to the occasion and be able to deal with those issues.