Report continued from volume A.

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Private Members’ Public Business

Vehicle procurement

Mr. Hardeep Singh Grewal: I move that, in the opinion of this House, the government of Ontario should undertake a comprehensive review of its vehicle fleet procurement policy to prioritize the purchase of vehicles manufactured in Ontario for use by the Ontario public service, the broader public sector and municipalities, thereby supporting local industry and jobs.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ric Bresee): Pursuant to standing order 100, the member has 12 minutes for their presentation.

Mr. Hardeep Singh Grewal: It’s always an honour to rise on behalf of the people of Brampton East in this House and to speak about a great motion that’s going to promote the automotive industry here in Ontario, where we’re buying Ontario-made products, supporting the very workers that brought us into this House.

Speaker, Ontario builds cars that drive Canada forward, from Windsor’s first assembly line to electric vehicle mega plants now rising in St. Thomas and Alliston and Oshawa. Ontario has always been the beating heart of our nation’s auto industry, and so is Brampton East.

Unfortunately, the Stellantis plant that’s in my riding was the most impacted by these auto tariffs and the negotiations going on across our two countries, with the US and Canada. We need to make sure that we continue to ensure that Ontario workers have those very critical jobs that not only create innovation and technology and the next generation of vehicles in our province, but create spin-off jobs to support other industries, from restaurants to tool and die to manufacturing, around those products and our transportation hubs. And Brampton has been a huge contributor to that—that’s been impacted by this.

With policies like these, when we talk about buying Ontario-made vehicles, we’re making sure that those industries then have a market and a ripple effect from those purchasers. Being in government, Speaker, whether it’s the municipal government, the provincial government or the federal government, we have a huge impact when it comes to procuring fleet services, whether it’s our police service, our fire industry, our ambulances—any which way you look at it, our municipalities, our governments are buying vehicles, and the priority should be for Ontario-made vehicles, made by Ontario workers. That’s what we want to do and that’s what my motion really speaks to.

Our province has built a legacy of innovation and quality that’s recognized throughout the world, and Brampton has been a leader in that. We’re home to thousands of families whose livelihoods depend on manufacturing and automotive supply chains. From suppliers to logistic firms to the skilled tradespeople who keep our wheels turning, Brampton has long been a community that builds things that matter.

Today, this motion calls on the government of Ontario to review and modernize our fleet procurement policy to ensure that, whenever possible, the cars, trucks and buses used by the Ontario public service, the broader public sector and municipalities are made right here in our great province of Ontario. Because when Ontario buys Ontario-built vehicles, we’re not just buying transportation; we’re investing in Ontario jobs, families and in Ontario’s future.

Speaker, Ontario’s auto sector contributes more than $16 billion annually to our GDP and supports over 100,000 direct jobs, not to mention the tens of thousands more in parts, logistics and technology. Public procurement represents billions in annual spending across every level of government. Aligning that with Ontario manufacturing is not only patriotic, but it comes down to common sense.

When a municipality or a ministry purchases a vehicle fleet, whether it’s 100 police cruisers or 50 public works trucks, that decision ripples through our economy. Each vehicle represents hundreds of hours of labour, from welders from Windsor to engineers in Ottawa and die makers right here in my riding of Brampton East.

This motion is grounded in practicality and driven by opportunity. By leveraging our government’s purchasing power, we can help Ontario’s leadership in the next generation of auto innovation: electric and hybrid vehicles, clean technology and advanced mobility systems. This is about ensuring that public dollars stay within our borders, supporting the very industries that make Ontario strong and that make Ontario a powerhouse.

Every vehicle assembled in Ontario supports a family, and now that’s clearer than ever: Our community is home to thousands of skilled tradespeople who build, ship and service the vehicles that Canadians rely on every day. From machinists and electricians to engineers to logistics workers, these are all people that are driving our economy forward.

Our government has been steadfast in standing up for these workers. Since 2018, we’ve helped create over 700,000 jobs in this province. We’ve invested heavily in skilled trades programs, job training initiatives, and manufacturing modernization to ensure our government remains a global leader in auto production.

Brampton families take immense pride in their work. Many have dedicated decades of their lives to Ontario’s auto industry. Parents have passed their trade skills down to their children, ensuring that our next generation is ready to build the cars and technologies of the future. It’s those families and their deep sense of commitment that keeps this motion and is—that’s why I seek this motion, to continue to support those families.

This is the perfect moment to localize procurement. By prioritizing Ontario-made vehicles in our fleets, we strengthen local supply chains, boost regional economies, and protect good-paying manufacturing jobs in communities like Brampton, Windsor, Oshawa and Cambridge. Our Premier’s plan when it comes to getting it done is about practical, results-driven action. It means cutting red tape, investing wisely, and delivering outcomes that matter to Ontario workers. When we get it done in procurement, we ensure that public spending drives local opportunity and growth.

This motion also recognizes the value of taxpayer dollars. Ontario taxpayers work hard, and they expect their government to spend wisely and strategically. By sourcing Ontario-made vehicles wherever possible, we keep those dollars circulating here at home, supporting those local economies. That means more jobs, more apprenticeships and more opportunities for local businesses to grow.

And in an example I can give of local businesses and spinoff jobs, absolutely, when we take a look at the automotive sector, we can see—when it comes to parts manufacturing, tool and die manufacturers, engineers, and specialized employees who work in these supply chains.

Let’s also take a look at the impacts that it gives for the local communities that are in those regions, whether it’s jobs and transportation, moving those goods in and out of those facilities, or all of the employment it generates for those residents who are living right next to these big facilities.

Let’s take a look at some of the people who worked in the Brampton Chrysler Stellantis assembly plant, who live and work in that community. What happens is, those jobs create high paycheques that they take home and spend on buying and purchasing a home in Brampton, which then translates into shopping in Brampton, whether it be for groceries, whether it be for clothes—whether it be for visiting our malls or even simply the restaurants that are located right next to these mega manufacturing facilities.

I’ve seen first-hand the impacts that these tariffs are having even on our community there in Brampton. I’ve seen restaurants change their hours, from opening till late nights—till 2 or 3 a.m.—to cutting back, till 11.

We need to make sure that we continue to provide that sector with relief and ensure that they have enough to keep moving and keep everybody employed.

We need to make sure that we buy Ontario, we protect Ontario, and we support those local economies and local jobs to keep things moving.

This approach reflects what Ontarians are asking for: a government that supports homegrown talent, values hard work, and builds for the long term. Our government’s record speaks for itself. We’ve attracted historic investments in automotive manufacturing, including multi-billion-dollar commitments from industry leaders to produce electric vehicles and batteries right here in Ontario. These investments are transforming our province into a global hub for clean transportation.

When we align procurement with that vision, we create even greater momentum. We send a clear message to the world that Ontario believes in its industries, its workers, and its potential.

Speaker, this motion is about jobs, pride and prosperity. It’s about ensuring that every taxpayer dollar goes back into building Ontario’s future. When the Ontario government purchases a vehicle, Ontarians should see it as a symbol of local strength that reflects the skill, innovation and resilience of our workforce. When we align procurement with that vision, we create even greater momentum.

For the people of Brampton East, this motion represents opportunity and recognition. Generations of families have built their lives around Ontario’s manufacturing sector. They have worked the lines, supplied the parts, driven the trucks, and helped power our economy through every challenge. They deserve to know that their government stands with them every step of the way.

We will continue to champion made-in-Ontario products, protect Ontario jobs, and invest in Ontario communities. We will continue to take pride in what this province produces and ensure that pride is reflected in every policy that we create and pass.

This motion is more than policy. It’s a promise that the Ontario government will continue to stand with our workers, our industries and our communities; a promise that we’ll continue to ensure that Ontario is open for business. We can make sure that the products that are built by Ontarians are being used by Ontarians, Speaker.

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Nothing makes me more proud than seeing a vehicle come off an Ontario assembly line, made by Ontario workers and supported by additional overflow workers, and then coming off that line to then support either our front-line responders, our government agencies and what have you throughout this province. As governments spend billions and billions of dollars procuring fleet in our province, Ontario-made vehicles should be our absolute priority.

Throughout Canada, Ontario is the manufacturing hub of this country. We need to make sure that we continue to be that powerhouse, Speaker. We’ve been that powerhouse for decades. We’re going to continue to be that powerhouse. And with the leadership of Premier Ford and our Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, we’re going to make sure that we continue to attract the best companies to come into Ontario.

Speaker, when this government took over, jobs were fleeing the province. And then when we came into power, what did we do? Some 700,000 new jobs since we came into power, and we want to make sure that we continue on that growth trajectory, no matter what it takes. I know that Premier Ford will fight tooth and nail to keep these jobs in our province—and not only keep them there but find more for the great, hard-working people of this province.

We’re going to continue to support our local economies, continue to support workers in this province and make sure that we build vehicles that are in this province and used by our agencies, Speaker. And while we do all of this, we’re mandating it as a priority for all levels of government underneath us. When it comes to municipalities, municipal boards, service boards, regions, everyone will then have to follow this directive of buy Ontario.

And when we say that, we’re not only talking about vehicles. As we continue to have this conversation, it encourages the public to also buy Ontario-made vehicles, as you see them more and more on the road. And it’s not even just about vehicles, Speaker: When we talk about buy Ontario, it’s about supporting local—even local farmers—to ensure that we support Ontario-made products throughout this province.

I’m very proud to bring forward this motion, to support the purchase of Ontario-made vehicles by government agencies across this province, and I duly hope that this makes a big impact to our sectors and that it continues to support those hard-working workers that make sure Ontario is the powerhouse that it is today.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ric Bresee): Further debate?

Ms. Jessica Bell: I’m proud to rise to speak on the member for Brampton East’s motion. I’d just like to start by reading it in full:

“That, in the opinion of this House, the government of Ontario should undertake a comprehensive review of its vehicle fleet procurement policy to prioritize the purchase of vehicles manufactured in Ontario for use by the Ontario public service, broader public sector and municipalities, thereby supporting local industry and jobs.”

So what are we talking about here? We’re talking about procurement. The member for Sudbury gave a very nice summary of what that actually means. So if you are going to a supermarket and you are choosing to buy Ontario food, Ontario products, you are making a choice to support Ontario workers, Ontario businesses.

When we’re talking about procurement tonight, we’re talking about the bigger choices that the Ontario government can make to leverage the $30 billion and more it spends a year on supporting Ontario workers and Ontario businesses. So it’s very important. The issues that we’re talking about right now are very important.

What I find interesting about the debate tonight is that we’ve introduced a few motions in the last few weeks to call on this government to strengthen its procurement policy. We’ve also introduced a motion to call on this government to make it easier for people, when they go into the supermarket, to know if a product was made in Ontario or made in Canada or not by mandating labelling—

Interjection: Good idea.

Ms. Jessica Bell: A good idea—and in both instances, this government voted those motions down, making it harder for consumers to make the choices that they want to make when they go to the supermarket. Maybe it’s because Loblaws called you and said, “Don’t do that.” I don’t know.

In this case, when I look at this motion, quite honestly, I feel that it doesn’t go far enough. It just doesn’t go far enough. And the reason why I think it doesn’t go far enough is because our economy is in trouble; let’s be quite frank about that. We are experiencing the highest tariffs on Canadian products in Canada’s history and the trade war has just begun. Ontario has over 700,000 people that are looking for work, and youth unemployment is at 22%. That’s astonishingly high.

I also see this measure is looking with a focus on the manufacturing sector. We here are hearing reports in the news each and every day about companies that are choosing to move their manufacturing plants and their facilities down south of the border, and thousands of people are losing their jobs.

Just to give you some examples: Stellantis is moving its Jeep production facility down to the US; Honda is postponing its plans to build an EV supply chain in Alliston, Ontario; General Motors recently confirmed it will end production of the BrightDrop electric van in Ingersoll, Ontario, pulling the plug on a key part of its EV footprint in the country.

Behind every single news announcement, thousands of people are losing their jobs. Thousands of people do not know how they are going to pay their bills, their rent or their mortgage and support their families. It is very concerning.

So when I see this motion that’s here in front of us tonight, a few things come to mind. Number one: Why just ask for a review? What exactly is a “review”? You’re going to review, and then what? Are you actually going to change the Ontario government’s procurement policy to prioritize made-in-Ontario vehicles? Because when I read the motion, it just seems like lip service, it seems like a press statement, but it doesn’t seem like a firm procurement policy that is going to increase the production of cars in Ontario that are then bought by municipalities and the public service in Ontario. I don’t see that here. Given the situation that we are facing with our economy, Ontarians are expecting us to take bold steps like that.

What we do see when we look at the government’s response to the economic issues that we are facing—I’ve got to say it’s pretty weak. Let’s just give us some examples of what’s happened recently. We’ve had Doug Ford focus on cheap stunts at press conferences, like pouring out whisky at a press conference—

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ric Bresee): I remind you to use the title of the individual.

Ms. Jessica Bell: —the Premier pouring whisky out at a press conference. How is that going to help people find a job? I don’t know.

We have the Premier looking at youth and saying, “You know what? The issue is that you need to look harder for jobs that don’t exist.” How do you think you’d feel if you’re a young person applying for 100, maybe 200 jobs and seeing the Premier on the news saying you need to look harder? Do you think that inspires you, gives you hope? No, I don’t think so.

Then, these last two weeks, we’ve had this focus on the Skills Development Fund, $2 billion that should be going to retrain workers who are looking for work so that they can find a new job in a new sector and get the skills they need to get going and work. That’s what they want to do. But then what we find is that with this $2 billion that has gone out, we’ve discovered that a lot of this money is going to friends and families of the Ford government, the Ford government’s favourite nightclub owner, the former Minister of Labour’s wife. I don’t think that’s what people expect a training fund to go to—I really don’t.

What we called for and what we would have liked to have seen tonight is a more fulsome debate on bringing in a comprehensive buy-Ontario, buy-Canada policy. That would apply across the board to ministries, agencies, Infrastructure Ontario, the LCBO, hospitals, school boards, colleges and universities that prioritizes government, if there is a company available to do the job, signing a contract with an Ontario company or a Canadian company first, making it far more comprehensive and focusing not just on the auto sector but on the whole swath of the kind of procurement that a government can do and that municipalities can do. Because it is a ton of money.

It’s $30 billion a year provincially, and then on the municipal level it’s about $22 billion a year. Why have that money go down south? Why have that money go to Korea when we can have that money go to support Ontario workers, Ontario businesses and Canadian companies? Because as we have found, there are qualified companies making bids on these contracts who are being rejected in favour of a company from somewhere else.

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I want to just give you a few examples. The Ontario Glass and Metal Association raised concerns about a $140-million hospital facade contract being awarded to a US firm. E.C. Row Expressway got a contract to use Korean steel when we have Ontario steel companies begging for contracts. We have two US companies that are in the final round of securing a contract to build an Ottawa hospital. We have the Ontario Line, which is being built by US companies: the Ontario Transit Group, Connect 6ix, Arcadis and AECOM. ServiceOntario was taken away from being operated by small businesses, and that contract has been given to Staples, a large US company. You can see the trend here. You can see the trend.

So what we would have liked to have seen tonight is a more comprehensive procurement policy that doesn’t just focus on cars but focuses on the whole swath of products and services and investments that municipalities and the province can make.

We’ve got a few more weeks of this legislative session. My hope is that in future motions, future bills, we see this government get serious about supporting our economy, supporting Ontario workers and supporting Ontario businesses.

We will be supporting this motion tonight, but we think you could have gone further. Thank you.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ric Bresee): Further debate?

Mrs. Karen McCrimmon: I’m happy to rise to speak on motion 33.

I guess my first comment would be, why is this just being brought forward now? Ontario is Canada’s leading automotive manufacturing province with major facilities operated by Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Honda, and well, we all know the story of Stellantis too.

In 2020, the government established Supply Ontario, a crown agency mandated to strengthen supply chain management and procurement across government and the broader public sector. Public procurement in this province is coordinated through Supply Ontario and represents a significant opportunity to support domestic industry and promote economic growth within Ontario.

Ontario’s vehicle fleet procurement and management system governs the acquisition, leasing and maintenance of vehicles for the Ontario public service and allows broader public sector organizations and municipalities to participate in shared purchasing agreements through provincial contracts.

In 2022, the government passed the Building Ontario Businesses Initiative Act, which requires public sector buyers to give preference to Ontario businesses when procuring goods and services. So my question is, aren’t we already doing this?

Speaker, with Bill 56, the government announced that it will begin consultation on a policy to support Ontario’s domestic automobile industry and protect auto sector jobs by leveraging the purchasing power of the public sector. So this motion seems to be asking for a measure that should already be under consideration—or is it being reconsidered? Despite this government’s track record on consultation or the lack thereof, I hope this will be discussed in detail.

We support strengthening the province’s manufacturing sector and protecting good-paying auto jobs across communities like Oshawa, Windsor, Oakville and Cambridge. The government’s procurement policy should reflect smart economic planning, supporting Ontario-made products where possible, while ensuring value for taxpayers and compliance with trade obligations.

A comprehensive review of the province’s vehicle fleet procurement policy is sensible, but it must be more than a slogan. It needs transparency, consultation with municipalities and clear targets tied to economic and environmental outcomes.

Ontario’s auto industry is transforming with major investments in electric vehicles and battery production. The province should lead by example by transitioning its own fleets towards clean Ontario-built vehicles. The government must balance economic development with goals, with fiscal responsibility and fair competition under our trade agreements. So there is work to do.

True support of Ontario’s auto sector also means investing in workers, training programs and the supply chain, not just making procurement announcements. Public dollars should drive local innovation and sustainability, helping Ontario become a global leader in advanced and electric vehicle manufacturing.

This motion presents an opportunity for the province to demonstrate leadership in clean technology, regional job creation and responsible public procurement, provided it is backed by real action and not just more political messaging.

But my questions remain: Why do we need to be debating this, and why aren’t we already doing this? Thank you, Speaker.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ric Bresee): Further debate?

Mr. Rudy Cuzzetto: I’m proud to join the debate this afternoon to support private member’s motion 33, moved by my friend from Brampton East. I also want to thank the Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement and the Minister of Transportation for the planned consultation on made-in-Ontario vehicle policy. This was included in Bill 56, Building a More Competitive Economy Act, that was passed just last week.

A made-in-Ontario vehicle procurement policy would help support our auto industry and strengthen our local supply chain through the fleet purchased by the Ontario public service, provincial agencies and municipalities. It would help ensure that when our government purchases vehicles, they come from Ontario’s assembly lines as much as possible.

As most of you know, before I worked for Premier Ford, I worked at Ford Motor Co. for 31 years. I was a dues-paying union member at the Canadian Auto Workers and then at Unifor Local 707.

Speaker, families like mine rely on the auto sector. Auto and parts manufacturing in Ontario supports almost 100,000 workers in direct jobs plus hundreds of thousands of workers in indirect jobs throughout the auto supply chain, including over 700 parts firms and over 500 tool, die and mould makers. For every job at Ford’s Oakville assembly, there are up to nine spinoff jobs across the province, including welders, engineers, technicians and skilled tradespeople. Building cars and the parts that go into them is the economic lifeblood of communities right across Ontario, from Oakville and Brampton to Cambridge and Windsor.

When President Trump and Howard Lutnick claimed that we stole our auto industry from the US and they don’t want manufacturing in Canada, I take personal attacks on this. President Trump’s illegal tariffs aren’t just threats to thousands of jobs; they’re threatening the families and communities that rely on them.

Many are already feeling the effect on both sides of the border. Earlier this summer, I met with Flavio Volpe from the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association, and he said it best: “You can’t hurt Ontario without landing the same punch on Ohio and Illinois and Michigan.”

As President Reagan said, “Over the long run, tariffs will hurt every American worker and consumer.” I want to thank Premier Ford for his leadership on the ad campaign in the US, which was seen over 11 billion times, raising awareness of President Reagan’s warning against tariffs.

Lana Payne, the national president of my old union said—and I agree—“You can’t negotiate from your knees.”

“Premier Ford has been fighting back.

“We need to fight back. We can’t remain silent while ... our workers are under attack from unjust and unfair tariffs. That is what Trump wants.”

Already, four Republican senators have voted to end President Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods. Tomorrow, the US Supreme Court will hear arguments after lower courts ruled that Trump’s tariffs are unconstitutional earlier this year.

Again, I want to thank my friend from Brampton East for bringing forward this thoughtful motion. I’m proud to support it because the purchase of every Ontario-made vehicle means more paycheques for Ontario families, more apprentices learning their valuable trades and a stronger community across the province.

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But not only that, Mr. Speaker, I know that together we can build a better country here in Ontario, because buying vehicles made right here would stimulate our economy and make Ontario strong again. So on behalf of everyone here tonight and everybody watching on TV—and I want to thank them all for their support on buying Canadian products here in Ontario, including our natural resources that we have here in Ontario. Thank you very much.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ric Bresee): Further debate?

MPP Billy Denault: Thank you to the member for Brampton East for his compelling remarks. I’m excited to participate in this debate and will be allocating four minutes towards this motion. It’s a privilege to do so on behalf of the people of Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke.

Speaker, I support this motion because it is tabled on the very promise we made during the last election to the people of Ontario, which is to save tax dollars and protect Ontario jobs. This motion recognizes that when we buy Ontario-made, we’re not just buying vehicles; we’re investing in families, apprenticeships and small businesses that depend on this sector. Every Ontario-made vehicle purchased means more paycheques in Ontario communities and that’s what this motion is all about.

Ontario’s automotive supply chain spans over 700 parts suppliers and 500 tool, die and mould companies. Across Ontario, auto manufacturing sustains entire communities, from Windsor and Brampton to Cambridge and Alliston.

I know a thing or two about the importance of manufacturing in our communities. I think about my family, many of whom—from my dad, my aunts, my uncles and cousins—worked in the sector at companies like Pfizer, Boeing and Nylene, all in Arnprior. And in Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke, manufacturing continues to be the heart of many communities, from Arnprior to Renfrew, Pembroke and others in the valley. Manufacturing means good-paying jobs and supports for families in rural Ontario.

I want to share a few examples. When you purchase a Reactine from a Shoppers Drug Mart, there’s a good chance that part of it was produced in Arnprior. Your kids play hockey and you use hockey tape? It may have been produced in Renfrew Pro in Renfrew. And any products that use MDF board would find world-class quality at Roseburg Forest Products from Pembroke.

There’s so much more that I would like to share, but we’d be here all evening. The point is, manufacturing matters. When Ontario builds, Ontario prospers, and our government believes that every public investment should drive growth right here at home. This motion is rooted in common sense and inspired by possibility. It recognizes that Ontario has a unique opportunity to lead by example, and by using the strength of our government’s purchasing power, we can position our province at the forefront of the next wave of automotive innovation.

This is more than a policy decision; it’s a commitment to keeping public investments working for Ontarians. It’s about making sure that the money spent by our government helps grow our local industries, creates good-paying jobs and strengthens the very economic foundations that make Ontario a leader in innovation and manufacturing.

That’s why this motion is so essential. It’s important because, in this time of uncertainty, now more than ever, we must protect Ontario’s workers, businesses, families and the communities that they call home. By prioritizing Ontario-made vehicles, it means supporting thousands of direct manufacturing jobs and tens of thousands across the supply chain. A review of procurement rules ensures that Ontario remains competitive and that taxpayer money fuels our economic engine, not someone else’s.

So I thank you, Speaker, for the opportunity to speak on the motion. I’ll pass the baton to the member from Lambton–Kent–Middlesex. I hope that many will support this motion.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ric Bresee): Further debate?

Mr. Steve Pinsonneault: I’m proud to rise today in strong support of my colleague the member from Brampton East and his motion to strengthen Ontario’s economy through smarter procurement. This motion is simple in purpose, but powerful in impact. It is about ensuring that Ontario’s tax dollars support Ontario jobs. When the government of Ontario buys a vehicle, that vehicle should, whenever possible, come from an Ontario assembly line.

Our province is already a global automotive leader. We are home to Ford in Oakville, GM in Oshawa, Toyota in Cambridge and Woodstock, and Honda in Alliston. These plants represent tens of thousands of good jobs and billions of dollars in economic activity.

When Ontario builds, Ontario prospers, and our government believes that every public investment should drive growth right here at home.

By prioritizing Ontario-made vehicles in our procurement policies, we are not just making an economic decision; we are making a statement of confidence in Ontario’s workers and industries.

Across this province, the auto sector sustains entire communities from Windsor and Brampton to Cambridge and Alliston.

Every Ontario-made vehicle purchased supports more than just assembly line workers; it helps the 700 parts suppliers and 500 tool, die and mould companies that make up the chain. Each purchase means more paycheques for Ontario families, more apprenticeships for young people, and more opportunities for small businesses that depend on this sector.

Speaker, this is common-sense policy. Reviewing our procurement rules means we can keep more taxpayer dollars circulating in our own economy, fuelling Ontario’s growth rather than someone else’s.

This motion aligns perfectly with our government’s record investments in skilled trades, retraining, and manufacturing innovation. Since taking office, our government has helped attract historic auto investments, created hundreds of thousands of jobs, and positioned Ontario as a global hub for clean transportation and electric vehicle manufacturing.

When Ontario buys Ontario-made, we invest in families, small businesses, and the communities that build our province.

This motion is not about restricting competition; it’s about recognizing value—the value of supporting our own workers and industries. Every public dollar should do more than purchase a product; it should build our future and strengthen our economy right here at home.

Speaker, when Ontario builds, Ontario prospers.

I’m proud to stand with my colleague from Brampton East and this government’s commitment to getting it done for Ontario’s workers, families and businesses.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ric Bresee): Further debate?

Ms. Aislinn Clancy: I want to commend the member opposite from Brampton East on this motion. I think it’s something that we’ve echoed across the floor, and I think it should receive unanimous support, because we know the pressures that our auto workers and our auto sector are feeling right now. This kind of motion really represents us putting all we can behind those workers.

In my region, we have Toyota as one of our major employers, and Linamar is just outside of the area. We know that so many families rely on these good-paying, non-union manufacturing jobs in the region. Toyota has been a wonderful partner, by maintaining their employment levels and staying put in the region, knowing how much those jobs mean to the community and how much the community means to them. It’s a beautiful partnership, and I would hate to see anything happen to affect this corporation. One of the things that they asked me for was this very type of idea: “How do we green our fleets?”

When I was a city councillor, we debated over whether to buy electric vehicles or not. The problem we often think about is—we don’t compare the EV with a gas vehicle in the same way. We have to think about it in a different way. For example, an electric vehicle tends to need 80% less servicing and ends up saving a lot in gas. So, really, when we’re allowing municipalities and school boards to invest in electric vehicles, we are looking at saving those municipalities and school boards etc. millions of dollars in the years to come on operating funds. I know that these cities sometimes have reserves.

Being able to invest in ourselves and support our auto sector in the same breath, with the same idea, is a beautiful thing, and we’re saving emissions—trying to reduce the amount of carbon that we emit, to prevent the further natural disasters that we see happening these days.

So there are a few things that I really appreciate about that—not only that cities can invest in themselves and school boards can invest in themselves and have that financial flexibility, but it makes economic sense.

We see FedEx, we see UPS, Canada Post—everybody—electrifying their fleets.

It’s about time that government step up, show up and start improving their fleets, like we know we should. This, hopefully, will give us the financial flexibility to see those savings and see those municipalities be able to come up to speed on those things.

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I do think we’re going to need to also discuss our charging infrastructure. I drive an electric vehicle. I think one of the barriers to driving an electric vehicle is the charging infrastructure. It has improved—I love the ONroutes; they’re awesome—but there are a lot of maintenance issues. We need to ensure that every community across the province has the infrastructure they need so that they can drive these EVs comfortably, and that the municipalities, when they invest in EVs, also are able to get the charging infrastructure in their buildings.

I can’t say enough about why buying Ontario means more now than ever. We see these corporations—we see Stellantis in Brampton; we see Ingersoll and Windsor—shuttering their doors, and that affects so many families. So we should be buying Ontario. We should be supporting corporations that build their vehicles here in Canada.

Toyota said to me that they want to make sure that they’re recognized for the contribution they’re making in Ontario and that we see them as one of the partners in our auto sector that is worthy of this investment.

I want to thank the member opposite for putting forward this motion. It’s good-spirited. It makes a lot of sense. We need an overhaul to the procurement. We could go further. We could start looking at other things. A lot of the innovators in my community say that 95% of their sales are in the US because it’s so hard to sell to our municipalities and our government here in Ontario.

So let’s keep cutting red tape and make sure that not just our auto sector but all the different innovators, all the employers in Ontario have that same spirit of collaboration, that same spirit of cutting red tape so that they can continue to keep jobs here in Ontario.

Thank you for this motion. I support it. Hats off to you.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ric Bresee): Further debate?

Mr. Amarjot Sandhu: First and foremost, I would like to congratulate my friend the member from Brampton East on his private member’s motion driving local vehicle procurement. It’s such an important motion. This motion is more than policy; it is a promise—a promise that the Ontario government will continue to stand with our workers, our industries and our communities; a promise that we will continue to keep Ontario open for business, built by Ontarians for Ontarians.

We are living through an exciting time for Ontario’s auto industry—one defined by innovation, investment, and a renewed sense of confidence in our ability to compete globally. From electric vehicle manufacturing to skilled trades training, Ontario is leading the way, and this motion builds on that momentum.

I would like to congratulate my friend from Brampton East, and I urge all the members in this House to support this private members’ motion.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ric Bresee): Further debate? Further debate?

I return to the member for a response.

Mr. Hardeep Singh Grewal: Thank you to all of my colleagues in this House who spoke to this motion. Like my colleague from Brampton West just said, it’s about building Ontario products for Ontarians.

Our government should ensure that the tax dollars that we have are spent on products that are made by Ontarians—I know that’s a thought that all of us share in this House, as legislators—to support the very communities that elected us, to ensure that those members of our communities have good-paying jobs to then live, work and play in Ontario.

Ontario is a global powerhouse when it comes to the vehicle manufacturing industry, and we want to continue to make sure Ontario stays that way.

During these tough and challenging times, it’s important that we bring in policies that ensure the success of our industries at home here in Ontario.

I believe all speakers today spoke on supporting Ontario-made products, Ontario-manufactured products and Ontario-grown products. Whether it’s fruits and vegetables, whether it’s products on our grocery shelves, whether it’s manufacturing vehicles, every dollar that we make here in this province should be spent on items that are produced here in this province to support our local economy.

I once again want to thank my colleagues who took the time today to speak on this motion, from Lambton–Kent–Middlesex, Mississauga–Lakeshore, Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke, Brampton West. And the member from Bay of Quinte—we ran out of time; otherwise, we would have added him on this list as well.

I truly acknowledge and thank all members of this House for pushing a policy that is going to help ensure that more Ontario-made products are procured here in our province and ensure that our automotive industry continues to thrive and governments continue to support those jobs and industries that make our province a powerhouse in this wonderful country.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ric Bresee): The time provided for private members’ public business has expired.

Mr. Grewal has moved private member’s notice of motion number 33.

Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.

Motion agreed to.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ric Bresee): All matters relating to private members’ public business having been completed, this House stands adjourned until tomorrow, Wednesday, November 5, at 9 a.m.

The House adjourned at 1845.