TPP to put 20,000 jobs in auto industry at risk: NDP

NDP MPP for Niagara Falls and Transportation Critic Wayne Gates questioned Acting Premier Charles Sousa this morning in the legislature about the Ontario Government’s support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The TPP is expected to have a devastating impact on jobs in the auto sector.

“This week it was announced that the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement was signed. The agreement is going to be bad for our rural communities, bad for manufacturing, bad for healthcare costs, and very bad for the auto sector. It’s good to see at least one Federal Leader is standing up and opposing the deal and hopefully your party will have the courage to do the same,” Gates said.

“Acting Premier, with this deal looming on the horizon what is this government going to do to protect the good jobs in manufacturing and the auto sector that so many people in Niagara, Oshawa, the GTA, Brampton and Windsor rely on?” Gates asked.

The trade agreement that was just inked by Harper’s Conservatives is estimated to put approximately 20,000 jobs in the auto and manufacturing industries at risk. In September, the Prime Minister admitted the auto sector may not benefit from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement despite campaigning on a promise to funnel more money into the auto industry.

Gates says workers in Niagara Falls and other communities across Ontario will be hard-hit by cuts to jobs in the manufacturing and auto sectors as a result of the TPP trade agreement.  

“Jerry Dias, the President of Unifor has said that more than 20,000 Canadians will lose their jobs because of this. Niagara, Oshawa, and Windsor are going to be some of the hardest hit communities. The Acting Premier can talk all he wants about an auto strategy and about helping manufacturers but actions will always speak louder than words and we haven’t seen any action.” 

“What is this government going to do to help the workers they will put out of their good paying manufacturing jobs in Niagara and right across the province get back to work?” Gates asked.