Tory calls for more action on manufacturing jobs

News Release
NDP

Progressive Conservative Party Leader John Tory today repeated his call for Dalton McGuinty to take steps to improve Ontario’s economic environment following the release of devastating job numbers for December.
“Almost 25,000 families suffered in December because of Dalton McGuinty’s economic mismanagement,” said Tory. “Ontario’s economy is trailing the rest of the country because we have a Premier who prefers to blame the federal government. There’s so much opportunity in Ontario to make our economy better and Dalton McGuinty isn’t getting the job done.”
According to jobs numbers released this morning by Statistics Canada, Ontario lost 24,700 manufacturing jobs in the month of December. The province has lost 174,400 high-paying manufacturing jobs since the beginning of 2005. Overall, Ontario lost 15,800 jobs in total last month pushing the unemployment rate up 0.3 percent to 6.5 percent.
Earlier today, Tory sent a letter to McGuinty outlining some immediate steps that could be taken to improve the investment climate in Ontario and spur economic growth. He said Dalton McGuinty must make sure Ontario’s economic house is in order before he can be credible going cap in hand to the federal government and complaining to them about the economy.
“The manufacturing sector continues to fade away right from under Dalton McGuinty’s nose,” said PC Economic Development Critic Ted Chudleigh. “Clearly more needs to be done or manufacturing workers and their families will continue to suffer the consequences.”
Chudleigh added: “This economic slow down has been coming for some time. It’s too bad the Premier ignored it. The people of Ontario are the ones to suffer especially the ones losing manufacturing jobs.”