Premier Ford, local MPPs say Ontario ‘open for’business’ at Brockville event

The province of Ontario is “Open for Business,” according to Doug Ford and his PC government, announcing the Making Ontario Open for Business Act.

The premier, as well as a number of his MPPs, began spreading that message on Friday. Steve Clark was at the Northern Cables plant in Brockville’s industrial park. The member of provincial parliament for Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands & Rideau Lakes says it’s time to bring back the jobs, something he says the new legislation would help to do.

“If passed, this legislation will boost job creation by cutting the unnecessary, unworkable and inefficient regulations that discourage investment and chase away jobs,” Clark said.

The Making Ontario Open for Business Act will also include a freeze on further increases to the minimum wage, putting in place a consistent system of annual leave days and creating more opportunities in the skilled trades.

“It’s a pleasant change all of a sudden to have a government that understands that the cost of business has to be competitive with the rest of the world,” said Shelley Bacon, CEO of Northern Cables.

Clark and Ford visited the Brockville plant earlier in the year to listen to the concerns of management, as well as staff. Northern Cables is also located in Prescott, and that town’s mayor, Brett Todd, was also in attendance for the midday announcement.

The Tories say the “Making Ontario Open for Business Act” has been endorsed by a number of organizations, including the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.