Members’ Statement: Partnership with the State of Michigan

Mr. Speaker, who is America’s number three trading partner? It’s not Germany. It’s not Japan. And it’s not even India. America’s number three trading partner is Ontario. But I’m not satisfied with that. I want Ontario to be America’s number one trading partner.

That’s why I’m excited about the memorandum of understanding, signed by this government, between Ontario and the state of Michigan. Ontario and Michigan are already each other’s number one trading partner. But under this new memorandum of understanding, Ontario and Michigan are going to work together to build better vehicle supply chains, technology, cyber security and agriculture. We’re going to make our relationship with Michigan even stronger, and we’re going to build an end-to-end vehicle supply chain.

Mr. Speaker, once upon a time, Henry Ford crossed the Detroit River and he set up a manufacturing factory at the old Walkerville Wagon Works. That started a manufacturing revolution and made Ontario the economic powerhouse of Canada. Well, keep your eye on Ontario, because we are going to do it again.