November 4, 2004

Think-tank discusses competitiveness of Canadian auto industry

Ottawa, Ontario - The Canadian Automotive Partnership Council (CAPC) met on Wednesday to discuss actions that need to be taken to strengthen the competitiveness of Canada's automotive industry.

With Co-chairs Michael Grimaldi, President of General Motors of Canada Ltd., and Don Walker, President of Intier Automotive Inc., CAPC members discussed the organization's recently released report called, "A Call for Action: A Canadian Auto Strategy." This report highlights CAPC's progress over the past two years, and presents a roadmap for future actions, identifying the areas that represent the highest priority for short-term action. The five critical areas are: large-scale investment incentives, infrastructure, innovation, regulatory harmonization and human resources. Border issues have specifically been identified as an important area, and have been acknowledged by federal and provincial governments as a priority.

The Council examined the progress and priorities of its seven working groups' recommendations in the areas of fiscal and investment policy, human resources, innovation, regulatory harmonization, sustainability, trade infrastructure and international trade.

"The CAPC report presents a framework for developing a competitive national automotive strategy and a system to monitor our progress over time. The report also outlines a strategic vision and action plan for increasing investment and innovation in the Canadian automotive sector," said Don Walker.

Commenting on the CAPC working groups, Michael Grimaldi, remarked: "I've been impressed by the collaborative spirit and progress achieved so far by this Council, and I am convinced our collective effort can drive a huge return on investment for Canada. It is important that we continue with a shared sense of urgency and accountability."

For more information and to read the report, "A Call to Action: A Canadian Auto Strategy", visit http://capcinfo.ca

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