New federal auto task force will include Ontario, industry minister says

The federal government will set up a new auto task force to protect jobs and it will include the Ontario government, Industry Minister Mélanie Joly announced in Toronto on Monday.

The task force will look at issues such as the future of car manufacturing, investment, jobs and electrification, Joly said, and will enable the federal government to co-ordinate efforts with the Ontario government when Ottawa presents a new auto strategy.

"The idea of this auto task force will be about looking at future strategic investments and making sure also that we protect our workforce, in particular unionized workforce, and also making sure that trade works for workers and that they don't feel that it's going against them," Joly said while speaking to reporters alongside Premier Doug Ford and Ontario Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli.

The announcement came after Joly and Ford held a closed-door meeting at the Ontario legislature on Monday afternoon. Joly said she has also met with Lana Payne, national president of Unifor, Canada's largest private sector union, which represents more than 320,000 workers.

"Obviously, we understand that the pain that the auto workers are going through as the auto industry is facing real threats from U.S. tariffs," Joly said.

"At the same time, there are many things we can't control, but there are things we can control. And what we do with our manufacturing sector here in Ontario and across the country is certainly something we can make sure that we can control," Joly said.

Joly said she had few details to report about the task force but said the governments have to look at everything affecting auto workers.

"We will find a way to support those who are making cars in the country while also looking at electrification."

Ford, for his part, said he met with Prime Minister Mark Carney earlier in the day, had an "incredible, productive" conversation and had pizza together in Etobicoke.

“We’re a big family across the country,” Ford said. “Sometimes families disagree, but make no mistake about it, I'd probably say 98 per cent, we agree on."

Last week, Ford struck a different tone when he criticized Carney for making a deal with China on electric vehicles. Ford called for a boycott of electric vehicles made by China when they are allowed in the country.

Carney and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed while the prime minister was in China that Canada will all but drop its 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese EVs and allow an annual import quota of up to 49,000 of the vehicles in exchange for China reducing its canola tariffs.

Ford was asked if he still believes the Chinese electric vehicle deal is terrible, as he said last week, but he sidestepped that question.

"I think I have voiced my opinion. I don't believe in rehashing it constantly. I want to move forward and really focus on the existing auto manufacturers here, see what we can do to support them and keep them here."