McGuinty promises new auto assembly plant
Despite the latest round of layoffs at General Motors and slumping car sales, Premier Dalton McGuinty is promising Ontario will get a new auto assembly plant.
McGuinty says Ontario is still willing to invest with automakers to secure jobs, despite GM's decision to eliminate nearly 1,000 jobs at an Oshawa plant in which the province invested $235 million.
He says it's no secret the province is in talks with Italy's Fiat, and is also in discussions with carmakers in China, India and Germany about investing in Ontario.
McGuinty says the province will land a new auto assembly plant which he promises will create more direct and spinoff jobs.
The premier says the province insists that no jobs be moved out of Ontario when it invests directly in an auto plant, but adds the contracts do not preclude the possibility of layoffs.
Economic Development Minister Sandra Pupatello says it's important to note GM is not moving jobs to another jurisdiction, but plans to trim its workforce because of slumping sales.
GM Canada said Monday that about 900 hourly and 70 salaried workers were expected to lose their jobs when one shift at the Oshawa, Ont., truck plant is eliminated this summer.
GM said it was laying off about 3,500 workers at North American plants that produce pickup trucks and big sport utility vehicles.
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