Bill C-30 (39th Parliament, 1st Session) committee  I've said that from the outset. I believe we need regulated fuel efficiency standards, but it's how they're applied. If you do the average, then you advantage one company and you advantage imports over what we're building in Canada. Again, I remind you that 80% of what we build is the large vehicles.

Bill C-30 (39th Parliament, 1st Session) committee  Let me give you the example that was outlined to me recently. If we were to move to the California standards by 2009, that would mean the Silverado that we build in Oshawa and is built in three other General Motors plants in the United States could not be sold in either California or in Canada.

Bill C-30 (39th Parliament, 1st Session) committee  If Mr. Bennett is right that we can sell everything we build regardless of size and the fuel efficiency of it, in California and Canada, regardless of those standards, then what are we arguing about? Why wouldn't anybody go ahead with it?

Bill C-30 (39th Parliament, 1st Session) committee  Yes. I thought I laid that out, Mr. Chairman, committee members, in terms of putting incentives on the table. For someone who owns a car that is 10 or 12 years old, a very small number keep it because they love it, or for some reason they like old cars, but most are keeping it because they can't afford a new car.

Bill C-30 (39th Parliament, 1st Session) committee  No.

Bill C-30 (39th Parliament, 1st Session) committee  If I could answer again, Mr. Chairman, California makes up about 10% of the North American market. Canada is slightly under 10%. Over 60% of their market in California is bought from Japan or South Korea or the European Community, so they don't have any industry to speak of. They have one assembly operation.

Bill C-30 (39th Parliament, 1st Session) committee  If I could, Mr. Chairman, on that, we attended a meeting that was chaired by Mr. Flaherty and that was attended by Rona Ambrose, who at that time was the environment minister. Mr. Bernier and Mr. Lunn were there. There were a number of others there and the total industry was represented.

Bill C-30 (39th Parliament, 1st Session) committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, for the opportunity to be here today to present the position of our union. I'm here on behalf of about 150,000 people who work directly in the industry, as well as tens of thousands of others who work in related industries and rely on a successful production system in Canada's most important industry for their jobs.