Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says Prime Minister Mark Carney is abandoning Canadian auto workers as companies move production south despite billions in taxpayer spending.In a joint statement Tuesday, Poilievre and Conservative industry critic Raquel Dancho accused Carney of breaking promises to secure jobs in the auto sector and failing to prevent the loss of thousands of manufacturing positions.“During the last election, Mark Carney promised to ‘negotiate a win,’ ‘handle’ Donald Trump and get a deal with the U.S. by July 21, 2025. He has done the exact opposite,” said Poilievre. “Everywhere Carney goes, higher tariffs follow and Canadians pay the price.”The criticism follows news that more than 3,000 Stellantis workers in Brampton were told Jeep production will move to Illinois. .Stellantis plans to spend $13 billion USD in American factories and workers, while the Liberal government gave the company up to $10 billion in subsidies for an EV plant in Ontario without securing job protections for existing employees.“Carney’s response is for auto workers to wait until he can renegotiate CUSMA,” said Dancho. “After failing to get the deal he promised three months ago, auto workers can no longer afford to wait.”The Conservatives say the job losses are mounting. Seven hundred GM workers in Oshawa have been laid off while the company spends $4 billion USD in the U.S. Five hundred CAMI workers in Ingersoll and 150 Stellantis employees have also lost their jobs, even before the latest announcement..Since Carney took office, 97,700 more Canadians have lost work, with the Conservatives warning that the auto, lumber, steel and agriculture sectors are “in freefall.”They also pointed to the outcome of Carney’s White House meetings earlier this month. On October 8, the U.S. confirmed permanent tariffs on Canadian finished autos. On October 14, tariffs on softwood lumber jumped another 10%, tripling since Carney’s appointment. That same day, Stellantis confirmed the 3,000 job cuts in Brampton.“Conservatives call on Prime Minister Carney to keep his word, not leave any Canadians behind and deliver a ‘win’ for auto workers,” said Poilievre.
