Mr. Speaker, I am happy to respond to the comments of the member for Windsor West regarding the auto industry and, more specifically, the situation in Oshawa.

As we and the minister have repeatedly said, General Motors made a mistake when it announced the closure of the Oshawa assembly plant. The minister made our position clear to GM's CEO, Ms. Barra, at a meeting in Detroit in January.

We want the workers in Oshawa and all Canadians to know that we are committed to ensuring the growth, strength and diversification of Canada's economy. We remain committed to keeping the Canadian auto industry competitive and innovative.

Canada's automotive industry is centred in the heart of North America's largest vehicle producing region, known as the “Great Lakes automotive manufacturing cluster”. Canada's automotive sector is highly integrated within the North American framework, with free trade between Canada and the U.S. dating back to 1965 and trilateral trade, including Mexico, growing since the introduction of the North American Free Trade Agreement. It is a significant driver for our economy and remains one of Canada's largest manufacturing sectors.

Some members may not be aware of this, but despite producing less than one-fifth of all vehicles in North America, Canada's assembly plants have won one-third of all J.D. Power quality awards in North America over the last 30 years.

Contrary to what the hon. member thinks, we do have a strategy for the automotive sector.

Our government has taken measures including creating the $2-billion strategic innovation fund to attract large-scale investments. The government also created the Invest in Canada agency and launched the global skills strategy. All of these measures aim to make Canada's automotive sector more competitive. These changes have brought in more than $6 billion in investments to the automotive sector since 2015.

This plan achieved real results on Monday, when Toyota and the Prime Minister announced that the company will move production of the Lexus NX and the leading-edge Lexus NX hybrid to its Cambridge plant. This plant will manufacture these models for the entire North American market.

Canada remains uniquely positioned to design and build the cars of today and tomorrow. Canada is a natural home for automotive innovation, with strengths to leverage that include a mature automotive cluster, expertise in advanced technologies, a highly skilled workforce and strong R and D capacity. Canada's competitive advantages align with the future of the global automotive industry, and the automotive sector is well positioned to compete for innovative investments in R and D and vehicle production.

Contrary to what the hon. member may think, our government does have a plan for our country's automotive industry. It works, and we remain committed to it.

Rémi Massé

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Adjournment Proceedings

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