Provincial Government must do more to assist
NEWS RELEASE
Ted Arnott, MPP
Wellington-Halton Hills
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 10, 2013
Provincial Government must do more to assist
A.O. Smith workers: MPP Arnott
(Queen’s Park) – Following up his Questions to the Premier on April 8, Wellington-Halton Hills
MPP Ted Arnott again brought the A.O. Smith closure to the floor of the Legislature on April 10.
In a Member’s Statement, Mr. Arnott noted that the Government’s response to date has been
confused and less than satisfactory. He called on the Government to do more to help.
“Yesterday in this House, the Minister of Economic Development claimed during Question
Period that an Action Centre had been, “opened” to respond to the crisis. Mr. Speaker, as of
yesterday that was not true,” Mr. Arnott informed the House. ”In fact, when I contacted the
company yesterday to double check, I was told the company hasn’t yet heard from the
Government.”
“The 350 A.O. Smith workers need a compassionate community response in the first instance,
and this is happening in our community right now,” Mr. Arnott continued. “But they need the
support of the provincial Government as well.”
Mr. Arnott called on the Government to immediately activate its Second Career program and
other relevant training programs to help laid off workers retrain for new jobs, and to work with
the Township of Centre Wellington to support efforts to create new jobs to replace the ones that
will be lost.
Since learning the news that A.O. Smith (formerly GSW, and before that Beatty Bros.) would be
cutting production in Fergus, Mr. Arnott has reached out to Township of Centre Wellington
officials, the company and union representatives, the Premier’s Office, the Offices of the
Ministers of Economic Development and Training, and many others. He joined Mayor Joanne
Ross-Zuj to visit the plant on April 4th, the day after the announcement.
“Working together, we will meet this challenge head on, support our neighbours, and continue to
reach out to the promise of the future,” Mr. Arnott concluded.
(Attached: Text of Mr. Arnott’s statement in the Ontario Legislature, April 10, 2013)
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Ted Arnott, MPP
Phone: 416-325-3880
Email: ted.arnott@pc.ola.org
Ted Arnott, MPP
Wellington-Halton Hills
Text of Mr. Arnott’s statement in the Ontario Legislature,
April 10, 2013
Mr. Speaker,
Once again I wish to update the House on the situation in Fergus related to the A.O. Smith,
formerly GSW, manufacturing plant closure.
Upon hearing the news, I immediately reached out to Township of Centre Wellington officials,
the company and union representatives, the Premier’s Office, the Offices of the Ministers of
Economic Development and Training, and many others. I also joined Mayor Joanne Ross-Zuj to
visit the plant on April 4th, the day after the announcement. The Premier and the Minister of
Training returned my calls to their offices. I asked both of them in turn to call the Mayor and
they did, which I appreciate.
However, the Government’s response to date as a whole has been less than satisfactory.
Yesterday in this House, the Minister of Economic Development claimed during Question Period
that an Action Centre had been, quote “opened” end quote to respond to the crisis. Mr.
Speaker, as of yesterday that was not true. In fact, when I contacted the company yesterday to
double check, I was told the company hasn’t yet heard from the Government. The Minister
needs to correct his record in this House.
The 350 A.O. Smith workers need a compassionate community response in the first instance,
and this is happening in our community right now. But they need the support of the provincial
Government as well.
I call upon the Minister of Training to immediately activate the Second Career program and
other relevant training programs, and give my constituents fair consideration to help them with
their retraining needs.
Secondly, I call upon the Minister of Economic Development to immediately reach out to the
Township of Centre Wellington, offering all available resources to support our Township,
County, and Chamber of Commerce’s efforts to create new jobs in our community to replace the
ones we will be losing on July 1, Canada Day.
Working together, we will meet this challenge head on, support our neighbours, and continue to
reach out to the promise of the future.