Debates of March 24th, 2026

Opposition Motion—Tariff-Free Auto Pact

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

The hon. parliamentary secretary to the government House leader has the floor.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the leader of the Conservative Party can actually just bring the quote over and hand it to me, if he likes. It is an open offer. I appreciate that.

What I wanted to do is go quote for quote. I thank him. It is a pretty extensive piece of paper. I am going to read it out. The leader of the Conservative Party wants me to read it out. In fairness, I will do that.

This was the question. I was concerned that the Conservative policy announcement does not really carry very much water. I used an example, and then the leader of the Conservative Party responded with the quote he just handed me. Here is the example I used from industry analyst Tom Venetis. Related to the Conservative Party's announcement, he said, “They don't seem very well thought out. It's an argument that I don't think he understands will not work.”

The leader of the Conservative Party then responded by quoting the president of the Oshawa Unifor Local 222, who said, “Finally, a commonsense plan to protect the livelihood of thousands of Ontario Auto sector workers. A plan that restores past production levels and secures a long-term future.” That was handed to him, and I appreciate that he got the quote just in time.

Here is the the challenge—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I would be happy to read more, but here is the challenge. He has to provide me with some more to show that the unions and the workers are, in fact, being consulted and represented.

I am going to go quote for quote. I did one quote and he responded. Now let me give another quote. This one is from Unifor president Lana Payne. What did Lana say? She said the CPC plan “may instead create the conditions on which auto sector—

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

The hon. member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan has a point of order.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, there may have been a problem with the translation when he was reading the previous quote, so I wonder if he could read it again to make sure that all members heard it in both official languages.

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

I am looking to all members, and I do not see anyone else saying there was a problem with the translation. I was paying attention, without interpretation, so I do not know.

I will let the parliamentary secretary to the government House leader continue.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I do not blame them. That is the only quote they have been using today.

Having said that, here is another quote, from the Unifor president, Lana Payne: “the CPC plan...may instead create the conditions on which auto sector investment and growth in Canada is constrained—permanently threatening the future of both Brampton and Ingersoll assembly plants.” That is another quote.

Let us not stop there. There are actually many quotes. The Unifor auto council chair, John D'Agnolo, said, “The problem is that he went ahead and did not consult with Unifor, and it was very, very frustrating to see the things that he put in place knowing we would be in big trouble”. He is talking about the leader of the Conservative Party. He also said, “He didn’t recognize engines. There’s a prime example. He didn’t recognize imports. He didn’t recognize exports of parts that we make, which is discouraging.... He didn’t recognize the fact that the one-for-one would mean they wouldn’t need to put a product in Brampton”.

It is as if the Conservatives have given up on some of our important communities in Ontario when it comes to the auto industry. Those are three examples that I cite. If there are any eager Conservatives over there who have another quote that they want to share with me, they can come on over and share it, but just make sure it is a different quote from the one the leader of the Conservative Party provided me.

Let me provide a different quote in terms of the Liberal action plan, what the Government of Canada is doing. Allow me to quote a Progressive Conservative, as opposed to the far-right Conservative Party that we have on the other side of the House. This is someone who is fairly well known. I am sure he understands the automobile industry in Ontario.

[An hon. member]

Doug Ford.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

The member is correct, Mr. Speaker. It is Ontario Premier Doug Ford. What does he have to say about the plan that we have? He said, “I'm pleased to see the federal government take the important step of ending its mandate, helping our auto sector compete and protect auto jobs.” He also said, “New federal funding for investments in auto and parts companies, job training and charging infrastructure will complement and enhance Ontario investments and supports.” That is what the Progressive Conservative Premier of Ontario is saying.

I say shame on those MPs, in Ontario particularly, who are not standing up for the workers in the automobile industry, to the degree that they did not feel it was necessary for their very own leader to work and consult with the unions. At the very least, I would think that it would have been a natural starting point.

However, it does not end there. Again, continuing on with quotes, we can talk about the Unifor auto council chair, who said he was “ecstatic” over auto measures, saying they are “so important to our community”. He also said, “It's important as time goes by and the market starts to turn.... We have to give Canadians the option, and it's important we always do that, and [referring to the federal government] they've done this through this policy”.

There is Clean Energy Canada. Also, Oakville Mayor Rob Burton, chair of the auto mayors caucus, stated, “The new strategy is a significant step forward for Canada’s auto sector. It shows that the voices of mayors and our Caucus are being heard in shaping national auto policy”. Those are the types of responses that we have been receiving in regard to the plan that the government has actually put forward.

What do we hear from the Conservatives? Today, I asked specific questions.

One of the initiatives by the government in terms of the auto plan is to accelerate investment in Canada's auto-manufacturing industry or that whole sector. We are talking about $3 billion in order to accelerate that. We are providing and protecting jobs, recognizing that the national government does need to get engaged. We can talk about levelling the playing field. I asked questions about maintaining countertariffs on auto imports that come from the U.S.A. where it is necessary. On those two initiatives, when I asked members of the Conservative Party whether or not they support that, it was deafening in terms of their response as they sidestepped the issue.

These are two initiatives that are actually going to help our industry today, and what are the Conservatives doing? They are stepping back. It is the standard policy of the far-right Conservative Party today: Just get out of the way. We often hear them say that in their speeches. They just want to get out of the way and let the automobile industry take what ultimately comes upon it, as opposed to trying to protect that sector of our economy, a part of the economy in which we are focused on doing whatever we can.

It is interesting that the member for Hamilton East—Stoney Creek said that I said we are just going to wait, even though I just made two very clear pronouncements in terms of what the government is actually doing today, which is having a very real impact. However, he said that that was what I said, but it was taken out of context.

The leader of the Conservative Party today talked about overall trade here in Canada. One would think that he is jealous of the Prime Minister of Canada and that he does not really support what the Prime Minister is actually doing, when he talks about trade. Can the Conservatives tell me of another prime minister who, within one year, has visited so many countries to talk about trade, to enhance trade opportunities and to enhance export opportunities for our manufacturers here in Canada? Can they tell me of another prime minister who, in less than a year, has brought in billions of dollars of future investments for Canada? The Conservatives cannot do that.

Our Prime Minister has been diligent in making sure that we are getting as much as we can with the type of trade diversification that is absolutely critical to the future of Canada, to providing the jobs of the future and to protecting the industries that are here today. Yet, the Conservatives seem to be focused on saying that they are going to have no tariffs between Canada and the United States. Do they really think they know Donald Trump so well that they are just going to pull up to the table, shake hands and say, “We don't want any tariffs”, when the President is putting on tariffs around the world? Oh, what a wonderland they live in to honestly believe that that could be the case, that we do not have to do anything and we will just wait until the President of the United States changes his mind and says that he will not apply tariffs and that we will go back to the 1960s.

It was Lester Pearson who brought forward the auto pact in the 1960s. He was a prime minister who did the right thing at the right time to ensure that Canada's industry would be protected. At that time, we had American Motors, Chrysler, GM and Ford, and that was it. That was all that was there. The idea was to integrate completely, as much as possible, that particular industry, and that is what the auto pact did. It served its purpose. However, American Motors and Chrysler do not exist any more. Now it is Stellantis.

I am very familiar with the automobile industry. My father worked in it for 40 years. We have had dealerships, including an American Motors dealership, I must say. I am very familiar with the industry. I know the importance of these jobs.

[An hon. member]

Oh, oh!

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the member says we should stop losing jobs. Do my colleagues know that the worst year we had for the loss of manufacturing jobs was under Stephen Harper? The leader of the Conservative Party sat around that caucus. That was the worst loss we ever had in the manufacturing industry, so when they start talking about the loss of jobs, they need to take a look at who their leader was in the caucus during the Harper government years.

However, let us continue to look forward, as opposed to backwards with the 1965 auto pact, because it matters. Members can think of the communities of Oshawa, Brampton, Oakville, Cambridge, Woodstock, Ingersoll, Windsor, Alliston and St. Thomas. They are the communities in Ontario that are looking for a government that will provide leadership on the issue.

Thank goodness that, much like we had Lester Pearson during the sixties, we now have a Prime Minister who understands the economy and how the economy works. He is in a good position to be able to negotiate a trade agreement with the President of the United States. He is the right Prime Minister for the right time in Canada's history to ensure that we have an industry that is able to not only survive, but also prosper into the future. That is something, I believe, that is shown by the actions we have taken, whether looking for those trade opportunities in South Korea, Japan, China or other allied countries in Europe. It might take some real effort going forward to foster those relationships, to build and to court some of those manufacturing companies to come to Canada.

No one is saying it is going to be easy, but as a government, we are not, like the Conservatives, giving up on workers or giving up on bringing forward a plan. I can tell the House that, after listening to the speeches of the vast majority, more than 90%, of the Conservative caucus, we would think that they do not want an EV industry. That is the reality, because they are constantly being critical of the government for anything that we do to promote EV purchases, as an example. Show me one Conservative member who will actually put up their hand and say, yes, it is a good thing to be able to encourage Canadians to purchase an EV vehicle through a subsidy of some form.

I have a news flash. The federal government is not the only government that has actually provided subsidies for EV vehicles. One of the provinces that has led the way is the province of Quebec. Quebec has provided opportunities and incentives for consumers to purchase EV vehicles. Quebec is not the only province. Colleagues can do their Google searches or whatever types of searches they want and they will find different political parties and different levels of government that have actually had incentives to try to provide encouragement for people to actually purchase EV vehicles.

The United States produces a lot of electric vehicles, but Canada cannot produce every model of car throughout the world. We cannot do that.

As much as I might like to see something of that nature take place, I think we need to recognize that Canada's automobile industry, what we currently have, has fantastic potential and there is room for growth. If anyone wants a good example of that, look at the Charger. It is an electric vehicle. Are you trying to minimize that now? Are you trying to minimize the Chrysler Stellantis plant by—

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

I would remind the parliamentary secretary to speak through the Speaker and not directly to the member.

I know there is a member on that side whom the parliamentary secretary enjoys having a back-and-forth with, but he should do it through the Chair. I will also remind that member that he will have a chance in questions and comments to share his views on the comments he has heard.

I invite the parliamentary secretary to conclude his remarks.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the point is that the Charger, which has an electric component to it, was recognized as the car of the year in North America and is produced right here in Canada. That amplifies the point that our workers in Canada are, in fact, the best in the world.

All we are asking for is a level playing field. At least we have a government that recognizes that and wants to see that. It is one of the reasons we have the whole issue of the tariffs and of having countertariffs in place where they are needed in order to protect our industry and level the playing field. When I ask the question of my Conservative friends opposite, they seem to be of the opinion that what the government is doing is not supporting the industry. I would ultimately argue that is wrong.

We need to look at ways to support it directly. Look at the auto plan that was presented by the Prime Minister back in February and the amount of support it has received. It is significant support. It will make a difference. As opposed to trying to sidestep the question, members should recognize it for what it is and support it. If they have something of value they want to add to it, by all means, they should make that suggestion, but I do not believe the answer is to go back to the 1960s. Times have changed. Workers understand that. We need to do what we can, in every way we can, to support our auto industry in Canada.

[Ted Falk, Conservative, Provencher, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I was very pleased to hear my colleague from Winnipeg North, early in his speech, confirm to the House and Canadians that the auto pact plan, presented by the Conservatives through the member for Dufferin—Caledon and the leader of the official opposition, holds water. Those were the words he spoke. We know the plan that the Liberals have been following does not hold water. We have seen more and more plant closures and increased unemployment in the auto industry.

Other than the comment of the member for Hamilton East—Stoney Creek about waiting to see what happens, does the member have any other plan for the auto industry here in Canada?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the member has to either wait for Hansard or listen to the speech again. I said the Conservative plan does not hold water. That means there are a bunch of holes in the bucket, and if the bucket is dipped into water, the water goes out. It is kind of like the Conservative plan. At the end of the day, it just will not work.

The core of the plan says they are going to force Donald Trump to get rid of all the tariffs and to not worry. That is the core of their plan, and they genuinely believe it is not going to be an issue. Things have changed. We need to recognize that reality. That is why I would encourage my friends across the way to get on board and support the Liberal plan, which is, in fact, effective.

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Mr. Speaker, when we all rise in this place to speak, we hope that we are going to be accurate. The member speaks a lot, but I think he hopes to be accurate as well.

He read into the record that the Conservative plan does not include, for example, engines. That is patently false. If he took the time to read the plan, he would know the plan talks about vehicles and vehicle equivalents, which includes engines, transmissions and chassis. For him to suggest that this is not true is inaccurate.

First, I wonder if he is embarrassed by reading something into the record that is inaccurate. Second, would he not agree that the most critical thing for the Canadian auto industry is tariff-free access into the American market? It is where 800,000 of the vehicles we produce go.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, accuracy is actually quite important. One of the things I constantly remind my colleagues across the way is that they need to take responsibility and not spread misinformation.

On the point that the member accused me of not being accurate on, that was a specific quote. It was actually a quote from the Unifor auto council chair. All I am doing is reading the quote, and I choose to believe what the workers are saying as opposed to what the leader of the Conservative Party is saying. If the member genuinely feels that way, he should take it up with the Unifor auto council chair.

[Mario Simard, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we are in a situation right now where the price of gas is skyrocketing because of conflicts. We are also in a situation that calls for a certain degree of environmental responsibility. Everything points toward facilitating, or even accelerating, the electrification of transportation. The federal EV purchase subsidy is a perfect example. When the government decided to eliminate this subsidy, EV sales dropped. Sales will rebound, which is good news.

However, the Conservatives are prepared to scrap the only measure that could benefit Quebec, because the more EVs that are on Quebec's roads, the more electricity we consume. The money spent on Quebec electricity does not go into the pockets of big oil companies; it goes into the pockets of Quebeckers through Hydro‑Québec.

Does my colleague agree that scrapping the EV tax incentive would be really bad for Quebec?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, it was not that long ago, a number of weeks ago, that there was an announcement in Winnipeg that New Flyer Industries would produce electric buses. I would argue that New Flyer Industries is one of if not the best bus manufacturer in the world, and it is located in Winnipeg. Providing that incentive, that financial support, to see electric buses being produced is something the government has supported. Equally, the Prime Minister has come forward by providing an incentive to encourage people to purchase EV vehicles here in Canada. I see that as a good thing, and I hope to see more provinces doing likewise.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, in the course of the debate today, there have been a number of good points made by members on all sides, honestly, but one of the things that continue to trouble me is that we are not actually putting Canada first in our investments.

I wonder if the hon. parliamentary secretary would consider raising within his caucus that it is time to reform the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board Act so that our pension funds are invested in Canada and not as they are now, which is more in the United States than here.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, earlier today the member raised that same question, and it is an interesting question. What I do know is that Canadians very much value and want to make sure that their pensions are going to be there into the future, and I think that there might be some opportunities there. I will accept the challenge. I am not going to take a position on that particular issue. I know that the CPP board and our pension boards in general do an overwhelmingly positive job in providing pension monies for our retirees. It is an interesting idea, and I appreciate her raising it.

[Fred Davies, Conservative, Niagara South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I really enjoy the banter back and forth with the hon. member. Every time I make a speech in the House, he has something interesting to say. It is not always on point or relevant, but it is generally good for comedy.

In all seriousness, we have had a lot of members stand up today to talk about the auto industry in their riding. I am probably the only one in the House who has two EV plants in their riding, both of which are non-operational. Linamar built a billion-dollar facility in the city of Welland. It is a magnificent building that did not open. There is also AK, or Asahi Kasei. The government has put tens of millions of dollars into these two businesses. AK has now decided to not open on time, primarily because, as it describes it, it is like opening a nuclear plant to run for two days. It cannot be done. Therefore, it is delayed for several years because the market has collapsed.

I wonder what the hon. member has to say to the constituents and the workers in my riding who were promised thousands and thousands of jobs, which are just not going to materialize.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, unlike the Conservative Party, we recognize that there is potential in developing an industry that produces more EV vehicles. I do believe that in the long run we are going to have more and more EV vehicles produced and manufactured here in Canada. It is only a question of time, and that is why it is important that the federal government, at times, work with different provincial governments to ensure this, whether it is through the infrastructure for having EV vehicles or by providing direct subsidies or incentives for consumers. We need to be responsible, thinking that ultimately we will see it; it is only a question of time. It could never be soon enough for me personally.

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

We have time for a short question.

The hon. member for Louis-Saint-Laurent—Akiawenhrahk.