How many more job losses will it take?

QUEEN’S PARK – Following the recent announcement that Firestone is closing their Woodstock plant, Ernie Hardeman, MPP Oxford, questioned the government today on how many more job losses it will take in Oxford County before she takes action to keep businesses in Ontario.

“1,500 layoffs in Oxford in less than a year and 2,800 CAMI employees on strike trying to keep their jobs in Ontario. The government can try to spin this however they want, but that’s the impact of their policies,” said Hardeman during the question. “How many more people have to lose their jobs before you are going to take real action to keep our businesses and jobs in Ontario?”

Yesterday Firestone announced that they are closing their plant in Woodstock after 81 years, resulting in approximately 200 layoffs. They are shifting their remaining production to North Carolina.

“Business after business warned this government that the high cost of operating in Ontario would force them to close their doors or move,” Hardeman said. “The Premier refused to listen and now we have another plant closing and more people who are facing the loss of their job.”

Hardeman has raised the alarm about jobs moving out of Ontario and called on the government to take action to stop it numerous times. Already during this fall session he has raised this issue in a question to the Premier two weeks ago, a statement on the strike at CAMI last week, in a speech to Bill 142 last Thursday, in a speech to Bill 139 the first week the legislature returned and during debate on Bill 148 two days ago.

In addition to pushing the government to address concerns raised by small businesses, Hardeman is encouraging the community to support local businesses by shopping and buying local.

“The people of Oxford are doing everything we can to support our local businesses, but this government just adds more and more burdens until companies are forced to close their doors,” said Hardeman. “I am going to continue to stand up for our businesses and our people until this government understands the real hardship their policies are causing people in Oxford.”

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For more information, contact:

Ernie Hardeman, MPP Oxford

(416) 325-1239