Windsor-Essex NDP MPs are calling on the Federal government to stop purchasing vehicles made by General Motors in Mexico.
"Right now, the last 10 years the federal government under your taxpayer dollars has spent around $350-million on vehicle purchasing federally alone well I'm here to say we shouldn't spend a single dollar on those vehicles made in Mexico and internationally because we have an auto crisis in our domestic industry now," says Windsor-West MP Brian Masse.
Windsor-Essex MPs @traceyram, @BrianMasseMP and @CHardcastleNDP are calling on the Canadian Government to stop buying @GM vehicles made in Mexico. #cklw @AM800News pic.twitter.com/nY0DkPZcLV
— Rob Hindi (@rhindi800) February 18, 2019
The MPs held a news conference on Monday at the Unifor building on Turner Rd.
They say over the past decade, between $320 and $350-million has been spent on vehicles for government use.
Essex MP Tracey Ramsey says the Federal Government needs to do something to stop the auto maker from shutting down its plant in Oshawa.
"We're here because of corporate greed, we're here because we continue to see our jobs being dragged down south and it's out of our hands," says Ramsey. "We feel helpless by the situation we're facing."
Masse says a national auto strategy is needed.
"Why are we so indifferent to basically having to manage by crisis," says Masse. "You've got my determination as well as Tracey and Cheryl to finally bring an auto policy, step one is a procurement. We're going to stop hurting ourselves and start rewarding Canadians for the hard work they do every single day."
GM is planning to close its Oshawa facility by the end of the year.