For Immediate Release
March 4, 2009

Barrett to McGuinty: Where's the plan;
where's the action on U.S. Steel jobs?

Queen's Park -- Mismanagement of the economy by the McGuinty government has forced one of the best in the steel working world to close its doors in Hamilton and Nanticoke.

U.S. Steel, a proud international corporation announced yesterday that now up to 2,000 steelworkers will be out of a job at Lake Erie Works and Hilton Works until the economy rebounds.

"As Premier of Ontario, what are you going to do about these job losses in primary industries," Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett asked in the Ontario Legislature this morning. Dalton McGuinty responded by extending his thoughts and feelings to the families affected by the closure.

Barrett then told Mr. McGuinty to focus on the problem as yesterday's news has been a long time coming.

"In fact, you supported our motion in December 2005, where we asked you for an immediate plan for the manufacturing sector in specific communities," Barrett reminded the Premier. "You can't lose 270,000 manufacturing jobs based on steel and not have a plan for this now-gutting of primary industry. It's been nearly four years, specifically when will you announce your industrial strategy, a strategy for primary industry, specifically to deal with this devastation that was announced yesterday?"

This time the Premier spoke about measures his government has put forward over the past few years to strengthen manufacturing.

Following Question Period Barrett said obviously those measures have not been effective.

"At this point, the steelmaking community needs answers. Thousands and thousands of lives are on hold while you apparently remain paralyzed by indecision."

The local MPP then reminded members of the government of the crisis' Haldimand-Norfolk has faced over the past three years.

"In the west, you've destroyed our tobacco economy and the 9,000 jobs that go with that. Three years of Native disputes have crushed our building industry."

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