Mr. Speaker, I have worked very closely with my hon. colleague in the last Parliament as part of the Conservative auto caucus, moving forward of course in terms of getting the government auto caucus up and going, and getting on top of all the important issues.
I come from the auto industry. I spent six and a half years on the line at DaimlerChrysler's Pillette Road truck assembly plant before it was closed and the Windsor assembly plant, helping build the Grand Caravan, the Town and Country minivans, and the Pacifica's that move our families along here in Canada, in North America and around the world.
A key item in talking with not only the CEOs and the major executives of these corporations but talking with the Canadian Auto Workers union and right down to the rank and file, predictability at the crossing, particularly in Windsor, is vital to keeping the auto industry moving.
This is vital to keeping our economies going, not only in Ontario but in Canada. It is critical that we secure additional capacity. That is why there is a binational process that is in place there. They are very close to locating the specific crossing, and the access routes and plazas are all being determined with public, municipal government and provincial input.
As an individual member, I am participating through the binational process and lending my own personal opinions and moving the opinions of the people of Essex forward through that process. We are close. However, the one key ingredient that is missing to ensure that we are ready for when that crossing is ready to go is legislation such as Bill C-3. This is a critical gap that was left out by the previous government. The Liberals got around to it far too late to do anything meaningful about it.
I am pleased that the present transport minister is making Bill C-3 a serious priority for the Conservative government. It is our second piece of legislation after the federal accountability act. This clearly demonstrates that the government is seized with the priority of that crossing in the Windsor-Essex region. We will keep moving that forward, so that we have jobs and a good quality of life in our communities, not only in Windsor--Essex but across Ontario and Canada.