#1. Establish a comprehensive, national automotive industrial strategy and program
Growing the auto sector and maximizing the benefit of Canada’s powerhouse position along the supply chain requires coordination and clearly articulated objectives, including plant and production capacity targets. Absent such a plan, sector development is at risk of taking place along a more politicized timescale that treats investment as a tool for political competitiveness rather than a strategic economic building block. A comprehensive auto industrial strategy can usefully serve as a framework through which government officials, in various departments, and at federal, provincial, territorial and municipal levels, must understand and craft other related policy measures, including vehicle efficiency mandates, cross-border trade policy, regional development and infrastructure priorities as well as skills training, adjustment and fiscal incentives, among others.