Ottawa, ON – Today, Raquel Dancho, Conservative Shadow Minister for Industry, and Scot Davidson, Conservative Member of Parliament for New Tecumseth—Gwillimbury, responded to Honda’s announcement that it is indefinitely suspending its planned $15 billion electric vehicle complex in Ontario:
“Today’s announcement is another serious warning sign for Canada’s auto sector, our manufacturing base, and the workers and families who depend on these jobs,” said Dancho.
When it was first announced, Honda’s EV complex was described as Canada’s first comprehensive electric vehicle supply chain. It was slated to be operational in 2028, with a new assembly plant expected to produce up to 240,000 vehicles per year. Now, that major investment has been indefinitely suspended.
“Honda’s decision comes after years of Liberal mandates and subsidies that have failed to restore confidence, secure investment, or protect Canadian auto jobs,” Dancho continued.
“Canada’s auto workers are the best in the world. But under the Liberals, our auto sector has been in decline,” Dancho said. “In 2016, Canada manufactured 2.3 million vehicles. Less than a decade later, that number has fallen to 1.2 million. Now, thousands more auto workers and their families are facing job losses and uncertainty because of the impact of tariffs and the government’s failure to secure Canada’s auto sector.”
“The dedicated workers at Honda Canada and their families have been let down by a Liberal government whose policies have driven away investment and certainty in our auto manufacturing sector,” added Scot Davidson. “The Conservative Opposition will continue to fight for them.”
“The Liberal government has tried to force a costly EV transition through mandates and taxpayer subsidies while ignoring basic market realities,” Dancho continued. “EV demand has not met the government’s expectations, affordability remains a major barrier for Canadian families, and auto companies themselves have warned that the pace of the transition has been overestimated.”
Instead of focusing on Canadian auto workers who are losing their jobs, the Liberals have doubled down on billions more in EV subsidies that too often support vehicles built outside Canada. The last time the Liberals had a similar subsidy, 99 per cent of it went to foreign auto sectors because Canada is not manufacturing the electric vehicles people are buying.
“Canadian tax dollars should not subsidize foreign-made vehicles,” Dancho said. “Moreover, the Liberals should not be opening the door to more foreign-made EVs while Canadian auto workers are losing their paycheques.”
Conservatives have put forward a practical plan to save and expand Canada’s auto industry. That includes securing tariff-free access to the U.S. market, removing the GST on Canadian-made vehicles, ending counterproductive Liberal EV mandates and rebates, and making it more attractive to build cars in Canada.
“More than 600,000 Canadians directly or indirectly depend on auto manufacturing,” concluded Dancho. “These workers deserve more than empty Liberal promises. They deserve stability, certainty and a government that will fight for them.”