10-02-2008
MEMBER’S STATEMENTS
MANUFACTURING JOBS

Mr. Ernie Hardeman: This week 500 workers at the Volvo road grading plant learned they were losing their jobs. This is just the latest layoff in Dalton McGuinty's Ontario.

Not long ago it was the CanGro plant in Exeter that was announcing their closure. When that closure was announced, my colleague from Niagara West-Glanbrook and I wrote to the Premier and asked him to do anything he could to try to save the plant and the many jobs, both in the factory and the agriculture industry. We couldn't convince the Minister of Agriculture and the Premier to take any action. I might have thought that the member from Huron-Bruce would have been able to convince her party to do something, but she too appears to have failed.

Now it's the Volvo road grading plant in her riding. This plant was known for producing some of the top road graders. Ten years ago, Volvo thought it was good enough to invest in, and now, in Dalton McGuinty's Ontario, this plant is closing.

Yesterday, my colleague the member from Halton came into the Legislature and questioned the Minister of Finance on what the government had done to try to keep this company here. In this Legislature, the member from Huron-Bruce always has lots to say when the opposition is speaking, but she hasn't questioned the government about what they are doing, and going to do, to save these jobs.

Hopefully, before we have any more plant closures, the members on the other side of the House will speak up, and hopefully, the Premier will listen to them and save the jobs for these Ontarians.