Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.

Ontario’s world-class manufacturing sector employs over 660,000 workers and is the lifeline of our province’s regional economies, including in my riding of Essex.

When the previous Liberal government announced that Ontario’s economy would shift away from goods-producing to service-producing sectors, they were unprepared for the exodus of jobs that would ensue. They were a government without a plan. The 300,000 manufacturing jobs that they sent running from Ontario came as a surprise to no one, but it left communities, including communities in southwestern Ontario, economically damaged.

Will the minister please explain how our government is once again supporting the manufacturing sector and bringing back jobs to southwestern Ontario?

Thank you to the minister for his answer.

Ontario’s booming manufacturing sector, including the important manufacturing sector in my riding of Essex, made this province number one in the world and the best to invest, live and grow.

This government has been successful in showing the world that Ontario is open for business. But just as any business changes, so does the world economy. And Ontario needs to keep up as we strive to remain competitive.

Will the minister please explain how our government continues to ensure that Ontario is a premier destination for manufacturers—both for our entrepreneurs and for the world’s investors?