SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

Ontario Assembly

43rd Parl. 1st Sess.
May 9, 2023 09:00AM
  • May/9/23 9:30:00 a.m.
  • Re: Bill 71 

Thank you to the member from London North Centre for his question.

We can differ, with a lot of reasons, on this legislation, and obviously that’s our job—to debate and have healthy discussion, which I think we’ve been doing.

I always come back to the reality, and the reality is, this is a game-changer. We’re going to create 33,000-plus jobs.

The Minister of Economic Development has been travelling, talking to numerous other companies that are interested in coming to our region to set up shop, and that is going to, again, add to the opportunity.

I can tell you other communities within our ridings are also looking at strategic investments, changing how they can do business, attracting these investments.

I can say my answer is going to consistently be “33,000-plus jobs.”

We’re going to do it right. The duty to consult—making sure we speed up this process and do it right as we speed it up is the commitment I know the minister has, the parliamentary assistant has and the Premier has. We will continue to communicate, to collaborate, to listen and learn—but again, 33,000 jobs.

From my world, this being my first year in public service—doing a lot of business in southwestern Ontario, I might add—it was pretty easy to hire people in the late 1980s and 1990s and through the beginning of the century, because there were a lot of unemployed workers. At our feed plants, at our offices, it was easy to find workers. It’s not so easy today.

I always maintain that the best social program we can have is a good job—not just a gig job, but a job that has benefits and has a pension. That’s what this investment is bringing—not only for southwestern Ontario; it’s going to happen in northern Ontario, too.

I would say a rising tide lifts all boats. The rising tide here is strong economic investment, and the boats lifted up are going to be the people working, sailing magnificently throughout this great province.

Again, I always use the analogy of the proof is in the pudding. People are investing, people are calling, people are knocking on doors. Throughout this, when everyone was wondering what the investment was going to be in Elgin–Middlesex–London or St. Thomas, specifically, I always said, “Just listen. Wait until the proof is in the pudding.” When people invest $7 billion, and you’re going to see a five-year return, and you’re going to see 33,000 jobs, and you’re going to see economic prosperity, I say that’s a pretty good deal—and again, that’s not only southwestern Ontario; it’s throughout this entire province, including northern Ontario.

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