Harper holds roundtable with auto parts industry in Windsor
CBC News | Posted: May 14, 2015 1:04 AM | Last Updated: May 14, 2015
Two-day visit includes an announcement with Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper met with members of the auto parts industry in Windsor, Ont., Wednesday evening at a roundtable discussion.
Harper was joined by Public Works Minister Diane Finley and Essex MP Jeff Watson at the the Waterfront Hotel in the southwestern Ontario city.
Harper described the auto industry as "a very important industry, not just for this region but for this country."
"As you know, we've been doing much over the past few years to try and work and develop the industry," he said.
"Obviously, the biggest single action of the things we had to do to during the great global crash [was] to save a big chunk of the industry in this country."
The 2015 budget announced earlier this year provides manufacturers a 10-year tax incentive to boost productivity-enhancing investment.
It also provides up to $100 million over five years, starting in 2015–16, to support product development and technology demonstration by Canadian automotive parts suppliers through the new Automotive Supplier Innovation Program.
'A very good meeting'
"The people we met today are major players in the auto sector, particularly in the auto sector and their thoughts matter to us," said Jeff Watson.
"This is information that goes directly to the prime minister because he hears it and of course that informs his overall understanding. It applies to our policies, our budgets in the future," he said.
Flavio Volpe, the present of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association, was part of the roundtable with Harper. He called it "a very good meeting."
The prime minister was greeted outside the hotel on Riverside Drive by about 200 protesters, who were rallying against the controversial new Anti-Terrorism Act, known as Bill C-51.
Union representatives were also protesting, including Unifor Local 444 president Dino Chiodo.
"When's the last time he's been here?" questioned Chiodo. "And this basically tries to strengthen the opportunity to get another conservative seat in this upcoming election. It's just disappointing."
The Prime Minister's Office released few details about his visit, just a day after Windsor city councillor Jo-Anne Gignac received the Conservative nomination for Windsor-Tecumseh in the upcoming federal election.
Gignac had an opportunity to meet with Harper Wednesday.
"He gave a very strong message ... in terms of going into the election," she said.
Asked if the prime minister could sense momentum in the riding, Gignac replied, "definitlety."
"I'm very excited to get the campaign underway."
Wednesday night's meeting was a "cameras only" event, meaning members of the media were restricted from asking questions.
Harper to meet with Michigan governor
Harper's two-day visit to Windsor includes an announcement Thursday morning with Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder.
It is believed Harper and Snyder will announce the name of the new $1-billion bridge between Windsor and Detroit around noon. CBC has not been able to confirm Harper will name the bridge Thursday.
"There's no need for him to be here, especially for naming the bridge especially when the bridge hasn't really even started construction, yet. It's going to probably take three, four, five more years — so there was no need for that," Chiodo said.
"I don't care what they name it. Let's just get the bridge up," Gignac said.
Harper's visit to Windsor also comes less than a week after the federal government announced it will spend about $6 million rehabilitating the exterior facade of the Paul Martin Building in the Windsor's downtown.
The downtown building was originally built in 1934. In 1994, it was renamed in honour of Paul Martin Sr, a Windsor Member of Parliament for 33 years.
Paul Martin Jr., the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, is the son of the man for whom that downtown building was named.