Thank you, Minister.

Speaker, for 42 years under a Progressive Conservative government, Ontario became a manufacturing powerhouse, able to compete with any jurisdiction. Yet, under the previous Liberal government, jobs began to leave when high taxes, red tape and out-of-control electricity prices made Ontario one of the least competitive jurisdictions in North America. The result: 300,000 people lost their jobs when Liberal policies forced manufacturing right out of Ontario.

With growing instability in Asia as China attempts to destabilize the region, businesses now more than ever are seeking strong, stable partners when it comes to manufacturing operations. Now is the opportunity for Ontario to regain our rightful spot as a manufacturing powerhouse. We must be taking every and all necessary actions to get this done.

What is the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade doing to bring back manufacturing jobs to Ontario and to my riding?

My question is to the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. Last week, the minister said that the government understands the need for advanced manufacturers to invest in the talent and equipment they need to be global leaders. While that is strong advocacy from the government, Ontarians want to know more about exactly how we are achieving these aims. Just as important as investing in our advanced manufacturers is, it is also critical that we ensure that we have a robust, end-to-end manufacturing supply chain. My constituents and all Ontarians want us to ensure that materials and production of advanced manufacturing remains in Ontario as much as possible and that we’re rebuilding the strength of this sector once again.

Will the minister please explain how the government is attracting investments in advanced aerospace manufacturing supply chains and how exactly our government is making connections with international markets and getting the message out that Ontario is open for business?

Would the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade please describe what impact the aerospace industry has for the Ontario economy and how Ontario is leading the way in terms of supporting this vital sector and its hard-working men and women?

Speaker, the member is absolutely right; we can’t just wait on companies to invest in Ontario’s advanced manufacturing supply chain. The Liberals tried this. They lost 300,000 manufacturing jobs by doing that.

That’s why our government led the Ontario delegation to the Farnborough air show just a couple of weeks ago. That trade show draws leading aerospace innovators from around the world for groundbreaking collaboration. Our delegation showcased our aerospace and our advanced manufacturing capabilities, but mostly we outlined how Ontario has reduced the cost of doing business by $7 billion annually.

It’s really simple: Ontario is open for business, and we are the gateway to world markets.

We’ll continue building on the over 660,000 men and women who go to work every morning in a manufacturing job.

Just last week, we announced that Cyclone Manufacturing invested $21.4 million to reshore 22 jobs to Mississauga and Milton from the US. That’s proof that we are open for business.