By Pepper Parr
September 2, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
The Prime Minister came to town and spoke to a decent sized audience at a small steel plant and told them if his government was re-elected there would be an Advanced Manufacturing Hub created in Burlington. A number of people in the twitter world were asking – what is an Advanced Manufacturing hub?
Prime Minister Harper making his Advanced Manufacturing hib at a steel plant in Burlington on Tuesday.
The Gazette is asking – where does that hub fit in with the long range Strategic Plan the city has been working on. We are in pretty close contact with the Economic Development Corporation in Burlington and we’ve not heard a word about this idea from them.
The city is certainly talking about hubs, mostly in a transportation context, with the idea of developing both housing and office accommodation as part of those hubs. The city has four mobility hubs of in mind; one at each of the GO Stations and another at the John Street bus terminal.
Federal Liberal candidate for Burlington: Karina Gould
Liberal candidate Karina Gould, who was in all probability not in the audience when the Prime Minister spoke, had these comments on the Conservative announcement.
“After a decade of watching manufacturing jobs disappear under Stephen Harper no voter is going to believe that he suddenly cares about the sector. Over the next 10 years a Liberal government will invest $60 billion in the kind of productivity enhancing infrastructure that all sectors, including manufacturing, need to compete in the 21st century.
“Strong economies produce goods. Manufacturing is the number one investor in research and development. It provides good jobs outside urban areas as well as in urban centres. We will help manufacturers to modernize and to reach new markets. We will help small and medium-sized enterprises in emerging markets and help them gain a foothold in Europe. We need to be prepared for the Canada–European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement.
“Since Stephen Harper came to power our growth in exports has been the worst of any G7 country.”
Conservatives at 28.8; NDP at 30.8 and the Liberals at 29.7 – tight.
There is certainly an election taking place and with the opinion polls where they are it is an all-out effort on the part of every candidate.
The Burlington Gazette has an opportunity to be a valuable source of community information. Unfortunately, thanks Ray Rivers and Pepper Parr it is becoming just a platform for biased left wing opinions. I suggest you come out and change the name of your blog to the Liberal Gazette!
It is not unusual for MP’s or MPP’s to tow the party line so I’m not sure why the editor chooses to interject himself in the comment section of his own article. Evidently it wasn’t to answer the question of where the $60b is coming from.
I am under the impression that this candidate is federal candidate and not a provincial election. Some seem to be trying to compare apples and oranges with stats.
The Federal Conservative candidate is a yes man to whatever Harper wanted. Time for a change Burlington.
It would be helpful if we were provided with at least one specific example of when Wallace demonstrated that he was a yes man to whatever Harper wanted.
And since this is not a provincial election, why is Wynne sticking herself front and center and in the middle of a federal election campaign. The stats are helpful and are a measure of economic health, versus recklessly spitting out $60 Billion dollar nonsense by Gould.
Editor’s note: It is a pleasure Mr. Rusin to provide you with several examples of of MP Wallace toeing the Conservative party line. Several links to articles published by the Gazette are set out below.
https://www.burlingtongazette.ca/?p=6930
https://www.burlingtongazette.ca/?p=38177
https://www.burlingtongazette.ca/?p=38642
Dear Editor, there is a big difference between being a ‘yes man’ and one who supports the Party line.
Your definition of ‘yes man’ captures all politicians loyal to their respective parties, including Gould who is more of a yes man after retracting her highly public position on the tar sands issue; that is more in keeping with being a yes man, and Gould sets the current example.
Thank you for the data Tony. I wish everyone in Ontario could grasp the significance of these numbers and immediately demand better fiscal representation at Queens Park. Provincial Liberals should be ashamed.
Ontario in the toilet equals Canada in the toilet.
I simply cannot believe that there are people that still support harper.
Harper is the leader of the most negative, hypocritical, undemocratic party that I have seen in my lifetime.
Under this so called leader, he has taken what was once the great Progressive Conservative Party, to the Conservative Party, to the Reform Party and finally to the Negative Party of Canada.
Just be very careful of his next step, if he remains, the so called, leader of this group of people.
Worth considering:
2002-2003 data
Net debt to GDP ratio Ontario…………..27.1%
Net debt to GDP ratio Federal…………..42.8%
Net debt per capita Ontario…………….$10,969.00
Net debt per Capita Federal…………….$16,144.00
2014-2015 data
Net debt to GDP ratio Ontario…………..39.4% (+12.3)
Net debt to GDP ratio Federal…………..31.2% (-11.6)
Net debt per capita Ontario…………….$20,779.00 (+$9,810.00)
Net debt per capita Federal…………….$17,332.00 (+$1,188.00)
This period is relevant because it coincides with the time in which Dalton McGuinty came to power in Ontario. Our Provincial government needs to bear the brunt of manufacturing job losses in Ontario over the last decade. High and growing hydro costs (because of Provincial policy) will seal its fate.
The recent poor performance in the Canadian economy can be attributed mainly to the energy sector, primarily oil. The newly elected NDP Alberta government is not a fan of the oil sands, (nor is Ms. Gould as Mr. Rusin has indicated). Energy costs and manufacturing go hand in hand. Energy is a variable cost for all manufacturers. Manufacturers simply head elsewhere (or close down) when the cost of doing business makes profitability unachievable.
Ontario manufacturers are already mean and lean – they have to be. There is nothing Ms Gould can teach them short of showing them how to fill out an EU version of a NAFTA certificate. Low taxes and low energy costs = profitable manufacturing.
It concerns me that Ms. Wynne and Mr. Trudeau appear to be forming an alliance this election. Especially in light of the disastrous fiscal situation in which Ontario now finds itself.
Since it is election time, the media “spin” is substantial. The rhetoric is not always what it seems. Be wary the pundit who beats the drum of how many balanced budgets somebody had over another. It’s not the deficit, it’s the debt.
Source:
https://www.rbc.com/economics/economic-reports/pdf/provincial-forecasts/prov_fiscal.pdf
Given the no people from the city, region or province were aware of this – given no one from the local economic development community were involved.
I got a suggestion – if elected and this does not get built – Mike Wallace will personally write apology letters to each resident of Burlington on my a promise was broken or a better idea – write a check to each Burlington voter as this announcement was just short of vote buying.
Ontario used to be the manufacturing province,and a have province. Lets look at the 10 years the Provincial Liberals created a non competitive manufacturing culture…oh wait lets blame that one on Harper. Hey Karina look in your own backyard first.
Perhaps Mr Rusin missed the part in Karina Gould’s resume highlighting her career experience in investment and international relations. Perhaps more research on his part is needed.
Since when is attaining a high level of education a bad thing? All political parties in every developed country, including our current government declares education as being the most important factor in achieving prosperity.
Trudeau brings 3 years real life work experience as a high school teacher. Gould brings her volunteering in a Mexican orphanage to federal finance and economic stimulus planning. Gould is promoting significant tax and deficit increases. Her limited time spent in international relations has no relevance to the health of the Canadian economy, and this country’s manufacturing sector is not waiting around for Trudeau or Gould to tell them that higher taxes are going to keep business this side of the border. It would be helpful if Gould could provide several examples of how many businesses she helped to expand into the Mexican marketplace and the net gain (in $Billions) achieved by the Canadian manufacturing sector. Paul Martin had credibility and a proven performance record; in contrast.
We should always remember that no government, federal, provincial, regional or municipal can do anything unless we are willing to pay for it. We either pay with tax increases or with money borrowed on our behalf.
Regardless of who you support, please don’t let them buy your vote with your money.
Well said John. Governments tend to be good at providing transportation and utility infrastructure and a fair tax environment for companies to exist and flourish in. They can also provide sensible regulation. Beyond those areas, the law of diminishing returns begins and governments should venture no further. The voter must decide which side of the fence each promise resides before casting a ballot.
Did Gould mention where the $60 Billion is coming from? How does a candidate with no business experience help manufacturers reach new markets? Trudeau’s work experience is limited to teaching 3 years of high school classes, and Gould seems to be a professional student; that’s really comforting.
At least in the not so distant past, the former Prime Minister Paul Martin had extensive real life relevant work experience and managed federal fiscal performance that gave the Liberals some credibility when speaking about economic philosophy. Gould’s thinking on the Alberta tar sands issue also speaks loudly about her competency at the federal level. Gambling away money raised by tax increases and deficit spending as the current Liberals propose will probably result in the same type of economic meltdown of the Bob Rae days in Ontario.
Editor’s note; Rusin, who is usually an attentive and informed reader, must have missed the piece we did on the Gould nomination https://www.burlingtongazette.ca/?p=32887
Her bonafides are as good as they get.
Editor, ask the professional student where the $60 Billion is coming from? How was that number determined? Throwing around numbers like that without completing the story about where that money comes from means absolutely nothing and is irresponsible. Does anyone believe that the manufacturing sector is sitting around waiting for the Liberals to tell them how to increase productivity? Unless the Libs go pick money off trees, increasing taxes kills productivity and sends manufacturing to economic environs like Mexico, a place apparently close to Gould’s heart.