NDP Leadership Candidate Paul Dewar Calls Harper a Job Destroyer

January 3rd, 2012

London, ON – Today Paul Dewar, MP for Ottawa Centre and candidate for NDP leader, challenged Prime Minister Stephen Harper to come back to the floor of Electro-motive Diesel and explain to workers what action his government will take to protect their jobs from being moved to the U.S.
“Time and time again we have seen this government provide corporate tax cuts to businesses like Electro-motive who then take the money and move their operations out of Canada. It’s time we put an end to Canadian taxpayers subsidizing companies who eliminate Canadian jobs,” stated Dewar.
Three years ago, at Electro-motive, Stephen Harper announced $1billion in corporate tax cuts as a supposed incentive for major corporations to invest in the Canadian economy. He earmarked some of that money for the locomotive maker.
“The Minister of Industry and Investment Canada approved the sale of this company to U.S. giant Caterpillar and now these workers face the threat of their jobs being moved to the southern States. When is Mr. Harper and his government going to stop facilitating the destruction of Canada’s manufacturing industry and the thousands of jobs we have been losing,” Dewar said.
“Mr. Harper needs to explain what safe guards were put in place to protect these jobs and what action his government is going to take now to save them,” added Dewar.
The London, Ontario area has seen numerous closings and job losses throughout recent years. The current unemployment rate is just shy of 10%. Electromotive Diesel, which was at one time owned by GM, has operated in London manufacturing locomotives and engines since 1950.
"Generations have worked at this facility, providing good jobs for their families and the London economy. Stephen Harper has an obligation to tell these workers, face to face, how his tax cuts have helped them as opposed to lining the pockets of American executives and investors."