Mr. Chair, I rise tonight to speak about an industry that is at the cornerstone of Canada's manufacturing power. Canada's auto industry is not just an economic engine; it is the economic heartbeat of provinces like Ontario and Quebec, pumping roughly $14 billion into our GDP and keeping more than 120,000 families in the middle class. Every job in an assembly plant supports nine or more in the wider economy. There are over 600,000 direct and indirect jobs that depend on this sector, and most of the vehicles we build here in this country are exported to the United States. When the auto sector stumbles, entire communities in Ontario and Quebec feel it right away.
Right now, as we sit here today, as we speak, those communities are under real strain. Workers in Ingersoll, Oshawa, Brampton and Sainte-Thérèse are living with layoff notices or the fear of one. At CAMI in Ingersoll, about 500 jobs have been lost. In Oshawa, hundreds of workers in the plant along with the supply chain are affected. In Brampton, roughly 3,000 Stellantis workers and thousands of supplier jobs are at risk. In Sainte-Thérèse, more than 700 workers at PACCAR now face layoffs.
Just so we are clear what the stakes are, President Trump has been very clear: He wants investment and jobs pulled out of Canada and moved south. The Prime Minister promised he would negotiate a win and deliver us a trade deal by July 21. He said the Liberals needed to form government because only they could protect this country. That deadline now has come and gone, and we have no agreement. Instead of a deal, we have more and more uncertainty. Here in December, the results of the Liberal Prime Minister's action are companies like Stellantis choosing to invest billions of dollars and create thousands of jobs in the United States, despite being given billions of dollars by the Liberal government.
Recently at industry committee, we had three emergency meetings on the auto sector. The message from industry partners has been clear: The Liberal EV mandate is making a bad situation much worse. For instance, Huw Williams from the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association told us the EV mandate makes Canada “less competitive”, a less competitive place and a place that is harder to attract investment to. He also said this mandate is a “pending disaster”.
How about Brian Kingston of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association? He told the committee that a pause on the EV mandate has not brought any certainty and that repealing it is the one simple action the government could do today to provide immediate relief to the auto sector. How about Flavio Volpe from the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association? He stated the EV mandate is “unachievable, unworkable and not based in reality”.
If that is not bad enough, get this: The government's own analysis admits this mandate will disproportionately affect people of low income and people in rural areas because they face higher vehicle costs and higher electricity prices. Despite all of this, Liberal members at committee defended the EV mandate. For businesses to make capital investment and properly budget, we know they need certainty. A temporary pause to this EV mandate does not deliver the certainty investors, manufacturers and workers need. If EV targets are not met, the mandate could cost the auto sector upwards of $3 billion by 2030. If the mandate sits on the books, Canada remains an unpredictable and risky place to build vehicles.
I should also mention that, just today, President Trump announced he will roll back the fuel efficiency standard for vehicles, which could further risk jobs and investment flowing south of the border. It has never been more urgent to get rid of the industrial carbon tax. Conservatives believe there is a better path. First, repeal the EV mandate so we can stop handicapping our industry and our dealers. Second, as long as the American tariffs remain in place, make Canadian-built vehicles HST free so buying a car made in Canada comes with a clear price advantage and reason for companies to keep production here. Third, eliminate the industrial carbon tax. Fourth, make sure any future subsidies for large auto investments come with real, enforceable job guarantees so workers and taxpayers are protected if companies move work elsewhere.
This debate is about more than policy details; it is about the Stellantis worker in Brampton who rises before dawn to assemble the vehicles that deliver us our prosperity; it is about the intricate supply chains connected to the auto plants in Oshawa. We stand on the side of auto workers in the House, for their families and for our communities at large.