CVMA applauds Ontario government’s fall 2019 budget

The Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association (CVMA) has released a statement saying it applauds the Ontario government’s “continued commitment and focus to pursue policies that demonstrate a positive rationale for automotive manufacturing and related investment in Ontario.”

The provincial government released its Fall 2019 budget on November 6, 2019. While there were no new announcements for the automotive manufacturing sector, the plan highlighted some recent investments by the province, including its Driving Prosperity strategy published in February 2019.

The Driving Prosperity plan aims to update training and re-employment support, as well as attract new investments through a “job site challenge” that will see municipalities and economic development commissions identify greenfield sites for new plants. The winning plan will receive financial support from the province to ensure the site is ready for development.

The CVMA identified the Driving Prosperity strategy as a positive step forward for the automotive manufacturers in Ontario, and encouraged more action from the provincial government.

“The 2019 Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review released today reports on significant reductions in regulatory burden and efforts to reduce local operational costs which will contribute to a more competitive investment climate,” says Mark Nantais, CVMA president, in the statement.

“We encourage the government to continue this important work and develop innovative investment supports that will better enable Ontario to compete with other automotive jurisdictions. The CVMA remains committed to work in close collaboration with the province on these issues and as part of the Driving Prosperity: The Future of Ontario’s Automotive Sector strategy.”