Mr. Speaker,

Yesterday, GM announced a 75 percent increase in investment in electric vehicles to $35 billion.

GM will accelerate construction of two new electric battery plants in the U.S., in addition to plants in Ohio and Tennessee now being built. None in Canada.

With the entire auto sector having a once in generation investment cycle which will  impact for many decades where vehicles will be produced, Canada’s lack of National Auto policy is leaving  workers behind and our country at risk of losing the industry that built our middle class.

We cannot and should not depend solely on the impressive union contract negotiations UNIFOR has achieved to secure any new auto investment.

For the 19 years I have been a member in this House I have called for a National Auto strategy and warned what would happen without one, as other countries around the world have implemented theirs. Our vehicle production has continued to decline year after year.

As we have seen with the pharmaceutical, medical device, PPE, and technology sectors, once manufacturing leaves, it is extremely difficult to bring back, and this pandemic has exposed the consequences.

Canada needs a National Auto Policy immediately to secure our workers, our industry, and our country’s future.