PC MPPS STAND UP FOR DURHAM FAMILIES AFFECTED BY
GM PLANT CLOSURE
Elliott, O’Toole and Ouellette grill Liberals in the Legislature
on behalf of Durham Region constituents
(Queen’s Park) – Durham Region Progressive Conservative MPPs today grilled the McGuinty Liberals following an announcement by General Motors yesterday confirming the closure of Oshawa’s General Motors truck plant by mid 2009. This closure is estimated to eliminate 2,600 jobs directly and up to 12,000 jobs in related businesses.
In the Legislature, Jerry Ouellette (Oshawa) questioned McGuinty on the financial support his government recently gave to GM.
“First we heard it was a grant, then it was a loan, then it was a 50-year loan then a 30-year loan, then $100 million, then $175 million,” said Ouellette. “Premier, can you let us in on what the actual funding agreement is?”
Under the guise of “commercial sensitivity” for agreements with individual manufacturers, the McGuinty Liberals wouldn’t disclose the information surrounding the agreement with General Motors.
Christine Elliott (Whitby-Oshawa) spoke of the massive economic hit that Durham Region and its residents will take in the aftermath of the closure, and urged the Premier to take action.
“These are real people with families to feed and mortgages to pay. But there is something that Dalton McGuinty can do,” said Elliott. “There may be up to $35 million that General Motors will have to repay to the Ontario government pursuant to their agreement. Will the McGuinty Liberals commit to directly reinvesting those funds back into our community?”
John O’Toole (Durham) asked the Liberals what their next course of action is, in the face of the latest layoffs to come under McGuinty’s watch.
“Do you have a plan to bring together the CAW, Chris Buckley, as well as the President of General Motors in Canada and provide a forum and some leadership to find a solution, not just for General Motors, but for the families, the employees, in fact for the province of Ontario?” O’Toole directed to McGuinty. “Do you have a plan to bring them together to find a solution or is this just going to be more political finger-pointing?”
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For more information:
John O’Toole Christine Elliott Jerry Ouellette
Durham MPP Whitby-Oshawa MPP Oshawa MPP
(905) 697-1501 (905) 430-1141 (905) 723-2411
