Wanted: Ontario auto industry czar

Ontario's minister of economic development says he's on the hunt for an automotive industry advisor to steer the sector to success.

Brad Duguid said his ministry is still putting the finishing touches on the proposed job description, and his staff is working closely with the industry and unions to develop the position.

"It's an idea that came from the auto sector to government," Duguid told CBC's Afternoon Drive. "Government has the knowledge to work with the sector, but having that inter-industry intelligence that you really don't get in government circles is something that is going to help us land future mandates."

The position will likely not be a "super salesperson" who travels the world to sell Ontario to auto companies, but rather, someone who can fill a void with insider information.

Duguid said the 'czar' will have three primary duties: to advise on upcoming mandates in the global auto sector and the mandates Ontario needs to land to protect the health of the local industry.

"And we should know anything we can do to further our efforts on the innovation side to make sure that our auto sector here in Ontario is evolving to ensure we're also going to have the jobs of the future," he said. 

Many of the recent investments by auto companies in Ontario have just been simply to keep up with the times — retooling and modernizing plants, Duguid said. But he said that's not good enough.

"I'd like to see us land a new plant or two in the next five or 10 years and to do that, we're going to need to start working now so that we're not chasing these things after the fact or at the last minute when we get wind that a company is interested in investing in North America."

The minister said he does not yet have a start date, but is hoping to fill the job "sooner rather than later."