Canada’s auto sector is facing a moment of real crisis, and families in our community are already feeling the consequences.

More than 5,000 Canadian auto workers have lost their jobs as a direct result of the latest U.S. tariffs. Behind each number is a household now facing uncertainty. These losses come on top of a decade-long decline in Canadian auto production – from 2.3 million vehicles built in 2016 to just 1.2 million today. In less than 10 years, our national output has nearly been cut in half.

Despite this concerning trend, the Liberal government chose to turn its focus elsewhere. Just a few years ago, Ottawa – alongside Ontario – committed up to $52 billion in subsidies to artificially create an electric-vehicle (EV) supply chain in Canada. Canadians were promised jobs, investment, and long-term stability driven not by market demand, but by unprecedented public spending intended to force the transition.

Instead, serious warning signs are now emerging. Major auto companies have written down billions in EV losses, projects have stalled, and heavily subsidized ventures are struggling to remain viable. Industry leaders themselves acknowledge the transition has moved faster than real-world demand and affordability allow – especially in a country as large and cold as Canada, where distance, winter performance, and cost matter deeply to families.

When I was elected to Parliament, I promised to be a champion for workers. After years of mistreatment from the federal government, whether it be contracting taxpayer-funded projects to companies in foreign countries using foreign labour, to bringing in low-wage temporary workers to replace Canadian labour, to the government’s use of Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code to force workers back to work, I took it as my duty to take a stand and end these unfair practices against workers.

Throughout my time as member of Parliament, I have been a vocal advocate for workers’ rights – meeting with building trades, labour unions and workers from all walks of life, and listening to the stories of those who have dealt with so much as a result of poor decisions made by this government.

I have also been serving on the parliamentary standing committee on human resources, skills and social Development and the status of persons with disabilities, where we studied youth unemployment, the government’s use of Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code, and the impacts of the temporary foreign worker program on the Canadian labour market. Through our work, Canadians are hearing the government speak to their decisions, sometimes for the very first time, and we will continue to push hard to get answers for everyone.

Every day, I am working hard to give workers a voice in a space that we have not traditionally occupied. The work to make our community great never stops and never slows down, and 2026 will be just as busy a year. I am not one to shy away from a hard day’s work, though, as a day of good work is eternally rewarding. As we head into the new year, I hope 2026 and the years beyond bring you good health, good times, and good will.