McGuinty Turns His Back on Northern Ontario
PC Economic Development Critic makes the case to save Grant Forest Products
?If Dalton McGuinty hadn?t broken his 2007 Throne Speech promise to help the forestry industry, the communities of Englehart and Timmins wouldn?t be facing the possible and immediate loss of 1,500 direct and indirect jobs ? a loss that will devastate the families that rely on those jobs,? said Shurman.
?While this government has forgotten about its promises to the north, it handed Ford $81 million for 757 jobs that may be created. Meanwhile Grant Forest Products represents the impending loss of 1,500 jobs right now. Will you commit to a no cash investment in our own people, a home-grown business, Ontario forestry technology, the resource-rich north, or do we sell our birthright to Georgia Pacific for 30 cents on the dollar ?? Shurman demanded.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 2, 2010
McGuinty Turns His Back on Northern Ontario
PC Economic Development Critic makes the case to save Grant Forest Products
(Queen?s Park) ? In Question Period today, Thornhill MPP and PC Critic for Economic Development and Trade, Peter Shurman demanded that the McGuinty government do the right thing and support Northern Ontario.
?If Dalton McGuinty hadn?t broken his 2007 Throne Speech promise to help the forestry industry, the communities of Englehart and Timmins wouldn?t be facing the possible and immediate loss of 1,500 direct and indirect jobs ? a loss that will devastate the families that rely on those jobs,? said Shurman.
As early as this week, a bankruptcy court will decide whether the assets of Grant Forest Products will be sold to U.S. Georgia Pacific. Grant Forest Products is an historic made-in-Ontario business valued at over $1 billion that injects about $100 million in annual wages alone into Northern Ontario communities.
Shurman reminded Sandra Pupatello, Acting Premier and Minister of Economic Development and Trade that the government?s Forest Sector Loan Guarantee Fund, set up in 2005, has over $300 million still sitting in it. He called on Premier McGuinty and the Minister responsible to cut the red tape in the Forest Sector Loan Guarantee Fund and allow Grant Forest Products to access the funds needed to save the 1,500 jobs.
?While this government has forgotten about its promises to the north, it handed Ford $81 million for 757 jobs that may be created. Meanwhile Grant Forest Products represents the impending loss of 1,500 jobs right now. Will you commit to a no cash investment in our own people, a home-grown business, Ontario forestry technology, the resource-rich north, or do we sell our birthright to Georgia Pacific for 30 cents on the dollar ?? Shurman demanded.
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For further information please contact:
Debbie Osske, Executive Assistant
Office of Peter Shurman, MPP-Thornhill
(416) 325-2505, debbie.osske@pc.ola.org