Everything that’s wrong with Ontario’s approach to economic development was on full display Wednesday.
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that → ’ → display
In just one public event, Premier Doug Ford demonstrated his belief that companies need a government handout to build in Ontario, endorsed the backward-looking approach that favours old, failing industries over new ones, and continued his vigorous cheerleading for Mark Carney, whether the prime minister’s economic plans are good for Ontario or not.
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plans → demonstrate → Ontario
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The occasion was the opening of a Toronto vaccine-manufacturing plant owned by the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi.
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occasion → manufacture → company
Joining Ford on stage were Federal Industry Minister Mélanie Joly and sundry other politicians.
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Joly → join → stage
After explaining how Ontario’s educated workforce, abundant power, good government, etc. made the province a compelling place to invest, Ford offered the Sanofi plant as proof.
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Ford → explain → proof
OK, but if Ontario is such a great investment opportunity, why did it take $415 million in federal money and $55 million from the province to get Sanofi to build it?
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Sanofi → take → it
That’s more than half of the plant’s $925 million cost.
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That → ’ → cost
For all that expense, Ontario gets 300 jobs.
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Ontario → get → jobs
That’s a subsidy of nearly $1.6 million a job.
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That → ’ → million
“If you are going to invest in Ontario, we are going to invest in you,” Ford said.
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Ford → go → you
Ford’s main preoccupation is fighting for past jobs, even ones that are already gone.
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that → fight → jobs
This year’s provincial budget sets aside $30 billion for job protection and reducing the impact of U.S. tariffs.
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budget → set → tariffs
Asked about the future of a closed Stellantis auto plant in Brampton, Ford had the chance to show a bit of economic common sense.
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Ford → ask → sense
Stellantis has signed a memorandum of understanding to sell the plant to an armoured vehicle manufacturer called Roshel.
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Stellantis → sign → manufacturer
The Brampton-based company is competing for a $4.9-billion federal contract.
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company → base → contract
Roshel is a Canadian-owned company that makes a product for which there is a demand.
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that → own → which
It wants to buy the plant and hire workers.
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It → want → workers
Isn’t that better than griping over losing an American car company that doesn’t want to be here?
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that → grip → company
Instead of pushing that deal, Ford and Joly persisted in their demand that Stellantis bring back production to the plant, which has been closed for three years.
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which → push → years
Joly was more eager to recoup the $222 million the feds poured into the plan than she was to talk about a future for the building.
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she → recoup → building
Both politicians are taking their cues from Unifor, the union that represents the auto workers.
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that → take → workers
That’s not the first group one should turn to when considering the big picture.
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one → ’ → picture
Then, Ford was asked about Carney’s plan to privatize the operation of Pearson International Airport, which Ford called “fabulous.”
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Ford → ask → which
He said that airports should have been privatized years ago and that “times have changed.
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times → say → ?
It’s not about government funding everything.
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government → ’ → everything
It’s a surprising statement from a guy who had just poured millions of taxpayers’ dollars into a foreign-owned pharmaceutical company.
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who → ’ → company
Ford might want to look a little more carefully at the Pearson proposal.
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Ford → want → proposal
Far from being a financial drain on government, Toronto’s non-profit airport authority paid the federal government $235 million last year for the right to operate the airport.
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authority → pay → airport
The Greater Toronto Airports Authority has strong local representation as well as seats on the board for representatives of the federal and provincial governments.
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Authority → have → governments
As a key economic driver for Toronto and Ontario, that’s as it should be.
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it → ’ → Toronto
A private sector operator is almost certain to reduce local control.
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operator → reduce → control
The federal plan relies on bringing in a for-profit operator, presumably paying the feds more while still making a profit.
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plan → rely → profit
Carney is talking about reaping tens of billions of dollars from selling equity in Pearson.
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Carney → talk → Pearson
It’s hard to see how that would work without passengers paying more.
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passengers → ’ → more
The federal government’s planned sell-off at least offers some insight into why it hasn’t backed Ford’s desired Billy Bishop airport expansion.
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it → plan → expansion
The feds don’t own that asset.
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feds → own → asset
Far be it from Doug Ford to question a Mark Carney plan, however.
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it → question → plan
The premier could haven’t been a better cheerleader for Carney if they’d given him pom-poms.
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they → give → poms
Carney is “on fire,” said Ford, enthusing over this week’s economic summit.
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Ford → say → summit
The premier needs a reality check.
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premier → need → check
…and 3 more, not listed.
The Aporia
