Top executives from Toyota Canada and Honda Canada urged federal politicians Tuesday night to focus their attention on saving Canadian consumers rather than saving some car companies.
Toyota and Honda executives, like the CEO of Ford Canada the night before, told a rare late-evening sitting of a House of Commons industry committee that fixing broke credit markets should be the government's top priority.
They also urged the government to consider stimulating consumer demand for new vehicles by significantly boosting a scrappage fee consumers can earn for junking an old car and buying a new one.
“Our recommendations to (MPs) are these: To focus on programs that encourage Canadians to buy new vehicles, as this will support every step of the auto sector supply chain,” Toyota Canada CEO Stephen Beatty said.
“If the government wants to help the manufacturing activities of the auto sector, the best way to do that is to ensure there is a healthy market for our products. The fastest and most effective way to do this is to create immediate access to credit.”
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