For Immediate Release
January 26, 2007

Committee seeking ideas to improve Hamilton and Niagara economy
Harmful McGuinty Liberal policies have chased jobs from Hamilton-Niagara

Queen’s Park – On Monday, January 29, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs will be holding Pre-Budget Consultations in Hamilton to gather input for Ontario’s upcoming budget. Erie-Lincoln MPP and PC Finance Critic Tim Hudak looks forward to hearing from Hamilton and Niagara area businesses, taxpayers and other interested parties to kick-start the lagging Hamilton-Niagara economy.

“It is clear that Dalton McGuinty’s high tax, high energy and runaway spending economic policies are causing real and lasting harm to Ontario’s economy,” said Hudak. “Since taking office, over 100,000 well paying manufacturing jobs have been chased out of Ontario– many of those in Hamilton and Niagara.”

Local job losses include:

* Ball Packaging in Burlington - 300 jobs

* Automation Tooling Systems in Cambridge/Burlington - 169 jobs

* Rheem Canada in Hamilton - 150 jobs

* Ferranti-Packard in St. Catharines - 212 jobs

* Bazaar and Novelty in St. Catharines - 200 jobs

* General Motors in St. Catharines - 130 jobs

* Niagara’s Casinos – 104 jobs

* Redpath Sugars in Niagara Falls - 20 jobs

“While other provinces are growing at a healthy rate, Ontario’s economy actually shrank in the third quarter of 2006,” said Haldimand-Norfolk-Brant MPP and Committee member Toby Barrett. “The province needs a real economic plan including lower taxes to support job creation. Instead Dalton McGuinty has embarked upon an orgy of political advertising and self-promotion in preparation for an election still over eight months away.”

The Committee will hear presentations from 9:00am -12:00pm and from 1:00pm – 4:00pm at the Sheraton Hamilton Hotel, 116 King Street West.

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For more information, please contact MPP Toby Barrett at: (519) 428-0446 or 1-800-903-8629