Hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs gone under Harper’s Conservatives

The NDP is calling on Stephen Harper’s Conservatives to take immediate steps to support Canada’s manufacturing sector after an internal report from Industry Canada suggests that some manufacturing jobs lost during the recession could be lost forever. The report also highlights that Ontario has lost 212,000 manufacturing jobs in the last decade and Québec has lost nearly 100,000.

“While the Conservatives pretend everything is rosy, the report indicates that some of the manufacturing jobs that Canada has lost will be gone forever," said NDP Industry critic Peggy Nash (Parkdale – High Park). “The Conservative’ plan just isn’t working.”

Thanks to NDP pressure, the Conservatives finally implemented the New Democrats’ proposal to extend the accelerated capital cost allowance, but there are further steps that can be taken right now to support Canada’s manufacturing heartland – steps like creating an innovation tax credit to support jobs-boosting investments in research and development.

"The Industry Canada report confirms that the Conservatives’ unbalanced economic policies are hurting our manufacturing sector and put at risk the hundreds of thousands of Canadians it employs," said Nash. “This is unacceptable.”

Canadians deserve better and Tom Mulcair has a concrete plan to rebuild Canada’s manufacturing sector and protect good jobs.