Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Bourassa.
Before I begin my remarks, I would like to once again acknowledge the horrific mass shooting that occurred in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia. My thoughts are with the families who have lost loved ones, with those who are injured and with the entire community that is now facing unimaginable grief. Canadians stand united in mourning, and we remain deeply grateful to the first responders who acted with courage and professionalism in the face of this tragedy.
I also want to recognize, as I said earlier, the families in Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg. Two communities right now are experiencing the loss of children. As I said, I am a mom. I cannot imagine what these parents are facing right now. On behalf of London West families, I take the liberty of extending my heartfelt prayers to both communities and pray for them as they navigate the very hard days that are ahead of them.
Last week, the government released its auto strategy, a plan designed to help Canada's automotive sector navigate the profound changes reshaping the global economy. These changes are already being felt in communities across the country, particularly in southwestern Ontario, where the auto sector is not just an industry but the economic backbone of our region. In southwestern Ontario, the automotive sector represents jobs, families and the stability of local businesses and communities.
From the assembly plants to parts manufacturers, from tool and die shops to advanced technology firms, the success of Canada's auto strategy will directly influence the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people in our ridings and thousands of workers in our region. There is no other place where this transformation is more visible than St. Thomas. This community, in London West's backyard, has long been connected to Canada's manufacturing story. It now stands at the forefront of the electric vehicle economy.
The investments that have been made there represent more than just new facilities. They represent renewed confidence in our region of southwestern Ontario, in our workforce, in our industrial capacity and in Canada's ability to compete in the industries of the future. For the people of St. Thomas, and of London and the entire region, this transition is about good jobs, economic revitalization and the next chapter of a proud manufacturing legacy.
Canada's auto strategy rests on five pillars. Today, I am going to focus on two pillars through the lens of southwestern Ontario's automotive sector. The first pillar is the government's commitment to reducing emissions from light-duty vehicles as part of Canada's broader objective of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
Climate action is often framed as an environmental necessity. It is that, but it is also an economic imperative, particularly in regions like mine. The global automotive industry is undergoing a historic transformation. Electrification is no longer optional now. It is a must. It is the direction of travel for markets, for investments and for long-term competitiveness. We have to be at the table.
For southwestern Ontario, this transition also represents both opportunity and risk: opportunity because Canada has the talent, the industrial base and the skilled workforce needed to lead the next generation of vehicle manufacturing; and risk because transitions of this magnitude create uncertainty for workers, suppliers and communities that have built their economic identity around traditional automotive production. We owe it to our children and future generations to do the heavy lifting of putting in place transformative policies that will enable Canada to lead in the low-carbon economy of tomorrow. That is why we will continue to fight climate change and why we will also be creating the strongest economy in the G7.
Transportation accounts for a quarter of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions. There is no credible pathway to net zero that does not involve fundamental changes in how we design, build and power vehicles. At the same time, we have to recognize the realities of the automotive production cycle. Vehicles built today will remain on the road for well over a decade. Manufacturing decisions made today will shape employment patterns for years to come. This is precisely why regulatory certainty matters most to our workers.
Canada's strengthened greenhouse gas emissions standards for light-duty vehicles provide a clear, predictable framework for manufacturers. For southwestern Ontario, predictability is the foundation upon which companies can make investment decisions. They can retool if they need to. They can retool their facilities and secure long-term employment.
When automakers and suppliers know the rules of the game, they take the time to invest with confidence. They can predict and plan for their workers' benefit as well. The community benefits, and the entire region's economy benefits as well.
Our region's auto workers are among the most skilled and productive in the world and have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to adapt to technological change, whether through automation, advanced manufacturing or electrification. What they require from policy-makers and legislators in this House and others is clarity, stability and a long-term vision. That is what we are giving them in this moment through the automotive strategy that the Prime Minister announced last week.
The second pillar I want to highlight is supporting consumers in the transition to electric vehicles by making EVs more affordable and accessible. Affordability is not just a consumer issue. It is also an industrial strategy. When Canadians can afford electric vehicles, the domestic demand strengthens, and when domestic demand strengthens, Canadian manufacturing becomes more viable. The previous incentives for zero-emission vehicles program played a critical role in stimulating early adoption. It helped normalize electrical vehicles within the Canadian market and supported hundreds of thousands of purchases. However, we know that affordability remains one of the most significant barriers to broader adoption. The new electric vehicle affordability program will address these challenges head-on.
For southwestern Ontario, this program carries particular significance. By prioritizing vehicles produced in Canada or within trusted partners, the program links consumer incentives with domestic industrial growth. Most importantly, by removing the transaction value cap for Canadian EVs, the strategy sends a powerful signal to the entire region. It tells manufacturers that Canada is serious about building demand for vehicles produced by Canadian workers, and it tells our workers that their jobs are central to Canada's climate and industrial policies.
Small and medium-sized enterprises are the backbone of the automotive supply chain. These companies manufacture components, provide specialized services and drive innovation. For these firms, the EV transition requires significant capital investment, technological upgrading and workforce adaptation. These are policies that stimulate EV demand. They do not only benefit large automakers; they also benefit the small mom-and-pop shops. The ripple effect throughout the supply chain sustains thousands of smaller businesses that depend on a healthy, growing automotive sector.
Beyond affordability, infrastructure remains a critical factor. Range confidence is especially important in regions like mine, where many residents rely on personal vehicles for commuting, intercity travel and economic activities, so we have to invest in charging infrastructure. These investments we are making in charging infrastructures are therefore investments in consumer confidence, but they are also investments in regional economic integration. A robust charging network along major corridors such as Highway 401 strengthens the practical viability of EV ownership for workers, families and many businesses in the region. Canada's national charging infrastructure strategy and the Canada Infrastructure Bank's dedicated funding envelope are essential to these components of this effort. Accelerating infrastructure deployment will also help ensure that the EV transition is perceived not as a constraint but as a practical, accessible choice.
We must acknowledge the broader geopolitical context we are in. Uncertainty in the United States, shifting trade dynamics and evolving industrial policies have created challenges for the North American supply chains.
I will close by returning to the fundamental questions before us. What kind of future do we want to envision for our children? What kind of future do we want to envision for Canadians across southwestern Ontario and in other communities where the automotive sector is the backbone of the economy? I think it would be a mistake if we did not make the right decisions, the right policies to bring us forward into the future, and it held us back. I look forward to taking questions from the House.