Liberal leader Mark Carney made a campaign stop in Windsor on Wednesday morning, pledging to support the Canadian auto industry.
Carney says a Liberal government would create a $2 billion Strategic Response Fund to boost Canada's auto sector's competitiveness, protect manufacturing jobs, and build a stronger Canadian automotive supply chain.
"Under our plan, we will build an all in Canada network for auto manufacturing components, because, on average, an auto part crosses that border, often through that bridge, over that bridge, six times before final assembly, and in a trade war, that's a huge vulnerability, tariff, as it goes into the United States each time," Carney said.
He says Canadian auto workers don't just build vehicles, they build Canada.
"Our auto sector has always been there for our country. So, in this time of uncertainty and need, Canada will be there for our auto workers," said Carney.
Carney told Windsor auto workers that a Liberal government would not wait while relations with the U.S. changed day to day.
"What we're looking to do is take control of our destiny, build more here, build more of the supply chain here in Canada, create stronger ties, more jobs for the future," he said. "That's what the $2 billion Strategic Response Fund that we're announcing today, and the links to a number of other programs."
On April 2nd, Trump is expected to bring in sweeping new reciprocal tariffs, in addition to previously-delayed tariffs on some Canadian and Mexican goods.
Manny Cardoso, secretary treasurer of Unifor Local 444 was at Wednesday's announcement and told reporters that Windsor auto workers are on edge and scared.
"There hasn't been any cutbacks yet, I think the companies right now are working as much as they can to get some product over across the border to avoid any tariffs that potentially are going to happen next week, but sales are slow," Cardoso said. "People are scared. No one's gonna spend a lot of money on big ticket items, and cars are. So I think there's gonna be a gluttony of inventory. So we'll see a slowdown one way or another I think."
Carney was joined Wednesday by Essex Liberal candidate Chris Sutton and Windsor-Tecumseh-Lakeshore candidate Irek Irek Kusmierczyk.
The Liberals have not yet announced a candidate for Windsor West, but Carney said the party is in the final stages of candidate selections.