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

In their final economic outlook, the previous Liberal government announced that “Ontario would shift from goods-producing to service-producing sectors” and “shifting from goods-producing industries, in particular manufacturing, to service-sector industries.” Those are direct quotes. For families in Essex, the message from the Liberals was clear: Get out of manufacturing. My constituents want to know that this government will do things differently.

My question to the minister is this: What is this government doing to help support economic growth and tap the amazing workforce that we have in the county of Essex?

But businesses also want to know that our government is removing excessive red tape—barriers, obstacles to success. And so my question to the minister is this: What else is this government doing in Essex county and in Ontario to ensure economic growth and opportunities and jobs for my constituents?

When we were elected, our government made a commitment to support the province’s regional manufacturing economies, and in 2019 we delivered by launching a $100-million Regional Development Program.

To date, we’ve attracted $716 million in investments and 1,300 jobs in southwestern, southeastern and rural Ontario through that program. We were there with the member in Essex recently at MC3 Manufacturing and at another company, Idol Core. These two companies are investing $11 million in creating 29 well-paying manufacturing jobs with a total investment of $1 million from the province.

Speaker, this is how we’re supporting economic growth and those skilled workers in communities like Essex, because these companies are showing the world that Ontario is open for business.

In fact, costs have been lowered by $7 billion every year. This is attracting record numbers of investments and entrepreneurs to southwestern Ontario.

In Essex, our automotive program attracted over $500,000 in investments from Industrial Fastener, B&B Tool and Mould, and Windsor Industrial Services.

And with a further $631,000 invested in the Small Business Enterprise Centre there, their entrepreneurs have all the tools they need to start and grow their own businesses—and another $182,500 for their Summer Company. That helps students and young entrepreneurs start their businesses because, Speaker, this is how our government is driving growth in Essex.