Mr. Speaker, Canada's auto industry is in crisis. Since the Liberal government took office, production is down 50%, exports are down 50%, and thousands of jobs are gone. The Liberal Prime Minister thinks we should surrender, but Conservatives say we should act.
We put forward a new auto pact, with real solutions to make it easier to build and buy Canadian, restore free trade and protect blue-collar paycheques. It is about more than the jobs of today. It is also about the jobs of tomorrow and the next generation of workers who are dreaming of a future in the skilled trades. It is about the good-paying jobs that have formed the foundations of our communities for generations.
Instead of supporting our plan to protect Canada's auto industry, the Liberal government voted against it. They have no plan to secure tariff-free access to the U.S. market. They only show up with empty words instead of working with Conservatives to support common-sense policies.
Canadian auto workers were watching that vote yesterday, and they see that only Canada's Conservatives are serious about protecting Canadian jobs and Canadian sovereignty.