Ontario Premier addresses plastics industry concerns
Canadian Plastics
Ontarians headed to the polls on Oct. 10 to vote in the provincial election, with four major parties vying for their vote. The party leaders primarily talked about contentious issues such as funding f...
Ontarians headed to the polls on Oct. 10 to vote in the provincial election, with four major parties vying for their vote. The party leaders primarily talked about contentious issues such as funding for faith-based education, and manufacturing concerns were left on the backburner.
Since a substantial number — nearly 60 per cent — of the plastics industry operates out of the province, Canadian Plastics invited all four party leaders to answer questions on a number of wide-ranging issues affecting the plastics industry.
The Ontario Liberal Party, headed up by incumbent Premier Dalton McGuinty, took 71 of the 107 seats in the Ontario Legislature. Here is what Premier McGuinty had to say about the plastics industry days before the vote.
On enhancing the skills and competitiveness of Ontario’s manufacturing sector… “To help companies address cost pressures, our government has undertaken a number of initiatives, including matching the federal government’s accelerated capital cost depreciation, which allows companies to write off the value of machinery over two years. Our plan to eliminate the capital tax by 2010 is making it easier for companies to invest in new technology and innovation to improve their productivity. Our plan to reduce the Business Education Tax will also save companies across Ontario over half a billion dollars.”
On helping the embattled mold, tool and die sector in areas like Windsor… “We have had several roundtables with leaders in the tool and die sector to better understand the challenges faced by the industry and to develop strategies to assist the sector in dealing with those challenges. Through the Communities in Transition Program (CIT), we have provided funding to the Windsor Essex Economic Development Commission to develop local initiatives to assist and diversify the machine, tool and die sector. Under the CIT, we have also provided $410,000 to the Canadian Manufacturing Agility Forum to study how the sector should evolve to better compete in a global economy.”
On funding technological innovation and R&D in the manufacturing sector… “We believe that our approach to promoting research and innovation is an essential tool for attracting investment and growing our economy. We will continue this approach — both through our Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Strategy and our Next Generation Jobs Fund. I am particularly intrigued by the BioCar Initiative and the plastics industry’s participation in this exciting project. By being at the forefront of green technology, and combining that with Ontario’s wealth of expertise in auto assembly and auto parts manufacturing, Ontario companies are helping to ensure future success.”
To read full answers from Premier McGuinty, Green Party of Ontario leader Frank de Jong and Ontario PC Party leader John Tory, visit www.canplastics.com and search “ONTARIO VOTES 2007.”
