Mr. Speaker, manufacturing industries, and auto manufacturing in particular, are economic pillars of our economy in Perth—Wellington and across Ontario. Our community is home to many manufacturing jobs and thousands of people who are employed in the parts-manufacturing field. Our communities rely on these jobs. That makes yesterday's news out of Oshawa all the more concerning. The abrupt announcement that General Motors would cease operations at its Oshawa plant affects not just the people in Oshawa and Durham, but the people of Ontario and Canada. The ripple effect across the entire supply chain is already being felt.
We must ensure that we have the economic conditions in place to enhance competitiveness and encourage investment. In my riding, I hear from employers at small and medium-sized businesses who are feeling the impacts of not only the steel and aluminum tariffs but the retaliatory tariffs as well, the effects of which are making it harder and harder for our businesses to compete.
Last week's Liberal economic update failed to address the brutal economic realities of these tariffs. Now is the time for the Liberals to act. Ontario workers deserve nothing less.