Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland says Ottawa working on 'elaborate' national auto plan
'We’re going to take our time to build our strategy right and to do it carefully,' minister says
Federal Minister of International Trade Chrystia Freeland tells CBC Windsor there's a very good reason a national auto strategy wasn't part of the 2016 federal budget.
"We're going to take our time to build our strategy right and to do it carefully," she told Windsor Morning host Peter Duck, who asked why a national auto strategy was never mentioned in the budget. "I want Windsor to really understand we're committed and we're working on it. It will be a fully fleshed out and elaborate plan."
The Liberals did extend the Automotive Innovation Fund, first created by the Conservatives in 2008.
"It was something done with Windsor in mind. We understand the importance of the [auto] sector," Freeland said.
The Automotive Innovation Fund "supports automotive firms' strategic, large-scale research and development (R&D) projects to build innovative, greener, more fuel-efficient vehicles," according to the program's website.
However, the Liberals did not renew AUTO21, an automotive research centre of excellence based at the University of Windsor.
AUTO21 was founded in 2001. The network of schools, manufacturers and researchers grew to include more than 500 researchers, 2,400 student researchers and 685 industry and public sector partners. The program ended last year.
Former Essex Conservative MP Jeff Watson, who lost his seat last fall, was critical of the Liberals' current auto strategy.
<a href="https://twitter.com/WindsorMorning">@WindsorMorning</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CBCWindsor">@CBCWindsor</a> Lib <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Budget2016?src=hash">#Budget2016</a> doesn't add 1 new $ to Harper auto fund this and next 2 years, no auto21 alt on R&D, no strategy
—@JeffWatsonEssexPMSH 2015 elexn promise $1billion/10y, to Auto Innov Fund, pybl as grants. PMJT <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Budget2016?src=hash">#Budget2016</a> $150m/3 y, pybl as loans+$100m of our budgeted $
—@JeffWatsonEssexStill, Freeland insisted Windsor is "a very, very important community for our country."
"As trade minister I know it's a community that builds so many things we sell to the rest of the world," she said. "We absolutely understand the importance of the auto sector. We understand the role the government has to support the sector."
She said she is always "thinking about the sector when working on trade deals," including the Trans Pacific Partnership, which was negotiated by the previous Conservative government but has yet to be signed by the Liberals.
"We're a party that believes in free trade. When it comes to the TPP, that was a deal that was negotiated in secret in the midst of the election campaign" Freeland said. "Our pledge was to carefully and fully consult with Canadians on that deal."
Freeland said the parliamentary trade committee is currently working on a national study and consultation on the TPP. It's asking for written submissions from Canadians.