Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Ford, GM, Chrysler Canada and the Canadian Auto Workers union for concluding important four-year contracts. With these contracts Ford and GM Canada eliminate their cost-competitive gap versus UAW plants in the northeast United States, while Chrysler Canada narrows its gap, allowing all three automakers to protect and, for Ford and GM Canada, add new Canadian jobs. That is good news for Windsor-Essex, the auto capital of Canada.
Our government has stood with auto workers and the industry through our automotive innovation fund investments and by helping the industry avoid bankruptcy in 2009, measures opposed by the NDP.
What our government will not do is risk auto jobs by implementing the NDP's $21 billion carbon tax that would make minivans and the gas they run on more expensive.
Auto workers can trust our Conservative government to stand with them and grow the auto industry in Canada.