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.