Mr. Chair, I would like to thank my hon. colleagues who have participated in this debate. I understand the emotion on all sides that we heard. We heard some emotional speeches. There has been a lot of finger-pointing and blaming, but I understand where that comes from.
St. Catharines has a long tradition of automotive manufacturing. The largest private sector employer in my riding is General Motors. That is not something new. Like many of the communities that have been represented here tonight, it is something that, in many of these communities, goes back decades, if not a century if we are talking about Windsor, Niagara or Oshawa. This is deeply embedded into our communities. It is generations of workers and families.
There was a similar experience with a paper mill in Thorold. I was the fourth generation to work at that plant. It closed. When my dad started there, there were thousands of workers and good-paying jobs. My grandfather and my great-grandfather raised a family on a job at that paper mill. They were similar to the jobs we see at General Motors, Stellantis and Ford. That emotion is there and is understandable because our communities are hurting. Our communities are afraid. I heard that at the doors in St. Catharines. We went to the polls and I have heard it since. We have a capricious American administration down south. We do not know what is going to happen next. What is strange to me here is that the blame is not going toward a capricious American regime; it is being spread around by, and I get it, the opposition. That is its job.
Let us look at the facts.
The fact is that Canada and the U.S., since the Second World War, had a good deal going on both sides. My understanding is it was practically an equal trade balance with respect to cars being exported and imported, as well as parts and whatnot. This whole relationship has been upended by one administration. It is a frightening thing. However, this government will always be there for our workers. We cannot force an American government to accept a deal. It worries me that the Conservatives would accept any deal just to get one done. It needs to be a good deal because, as another member mentioned, if a certain level of tariffs exists it is going to be devastating for the sector.
All is not lost in Niagara. I know there is a great deal of fear in Niagara and beyond. There is a battery separator plant related to the Honda investments in Ontario, Asahi Kasei in Port Colborne, a billion-dollar factory being built in Niagara. This is transformational for that region. Despite the uncertainty, despite the issues, that factory is being built today. The construction continues. That is because of this government and the Province of Ontario stepping up to defend workers. It has been the case, whether in Brampton or Windsor, that this government is there.
We cannot stop an American government from putting on tariffs, even though it is hurting its workers. I saw a headline in an American paper yesterday that Americans are buying fewer cars because cars are too expensive. We have the solution for that, which is lower tariffs on automotive steel and aluminum. However, we do not have control now. In the absence of that control, the government is going to stand up and be there for workers. We have done it before, time and again, year after year, and we will continue to work with the Government of Ontario to ensure we maintain many auto jobs and produce more auto jobs into the future.