I couldn’t assist however discover the rostrum Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford shared with Stellantis North America COO Mark Stewart to announce an extra $3.6 billion in Canadian automotive funding on Might 2.

“Clear air and good jobs,” it learn.

Beneath “clear air” was the Authorities of Canada emblem, and under “good jobs” there was the Authorities of Ontario emblem. How completely becoming.

What we witnessed whereas automakers spent the spring saying billions for auto funding — $13 billion over an eight-week span, to be exact — was the strangest of bedfellows working collectively and getting precisely what it’s they each wished.

Trudeau and his Liberals obtained the coveted “greening” of the auto business they’ve been after for years, in an effort to fulfill their local weather objectives. And over his time period, Ford will get to say he helped create or keep jobs at no fewer than seven meeting crops operated by 5 automakers.

It’s apparent the 2 leaders view the auto sector by completely different lenses; the federal Liberals see it as a grimy polluter and needed evil to maintain individuals employed. Ontario’s Conservatives know the business represents a deep pool of well-paid voters, who, if saved blissful, may forged a poll in Ford’s favour come June 2 and ship him again to a majority.

Neither is essentially fallacious. Or proper.

However taken collectively, they symbolize the perfect of each worlds. Neither can say “no” to potential funding because the business races towards electrification.

Failing to work collectively and supply automakers incentives within the billions of {dollars} could be detrimental to each causes. Automakers would look elsewhere. The Liberals would proceed to fall brief on their pledge to sluggish local weather change.

And the Conservatives could be held (considerably) chargeable for the lack of funding poised to maintain Canada’s auto sector wholesome and secure for an additional 100 years.

Contemplate Windsor as only one instance.

Stellantis has promised the return of the third shift at its minivan plant there, which is about 1,500 jobs. It is going to construct an EV battery plant that may make use of about 2,500 individuals. And it’ll rent 650 white-collar staff at new EV analysis centres within the metropolis. That’s 4,650 jobs that don’t exist as I write this column. And, at an annual wage of $50,000 — only for spherical numbers’ sake — that’s $232 million ripe for spending in a metropolis of 235,000 individuals. Per yr.

That interprets to extra homes, boats, date nights, youth sports activities registrations and charitable donations.

Everyone wins. Not simply the politicians, automakers and their workers. Everyone.