Canada relies on foreign auto executives for its auto industry. It already provides huge taxpayer subsidies per job. There is certainly a possible future where all of those foreign loyal companies side with US to destroy Canadian auto production/investment.

  1. China could help save Canadian auto industry by providing motors and batteries for Canadian made EVs. Chinese investment to make goods from Canadian resources in Canada is a path for scale that includes global export potential of autos and other industrial goods to whole globe including China.

  2. If it doesn’t make economic sense to make our own tube socks, it doesn’t make sense to make overly expensive cars, either. There is a stronger national security argument for apparel, that needs yearly replacements, than solar, batteries, and autos that last 20+ years. More so, when they are not dependent on continuous international fuel supply chains/geopolitics.

Pressure on foreign executives to support Canadian production includes access to Canadian market. The stability of status quo will appeal to most people. But the threat/plan B of cooperation with China is both a path to manufacturing and resource FDI paid by China instead of taxpayers, and better quality of life through better value goods.

  • Dholi@lemmy.ca
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    11 hours ago

    No thanks. I don’t trust them after what they did to Nortel. It’s much better for Canada to build a high-speed train line and more LRTs all across Canada because:

    • Building transit allows us to train our workers for these types of projects. Workers gain new skills which can be used for more transit projects.
    • Relying on auto manufacturing results in federal and provincial governments dumping billions of investment incentives into these companies for production runs that are essentially limited time only. Once the production run is up after 5 or so years, they ask the government for more money again or they threaten to move production.
    • Makes our communities walk-able, safer, and makes travelling more convenient.
    • Our roads in major cities are already at or above capacity and we can’t keep jamming our roads with more and more cars.