After two years of pushing his private member’s motion (M-183) regarding Canadian content levels for public transportation, local MP Ken Boshcoff was pleased all parties in the House of Commons finally approved the motion last Wednesday night.
“It was a very gratifying experience,” Boshcoff enthused, adding although he initiated a motion last year about Scouts Canada, the Canadian content one was much more demanding.
“It was night and day in terms of difficulty and the work that was involved,” he remarked. “I learned a few things.”
The approved motion reads as follows:
“That, in the opinion of this House, the government should develop a policy, which respects Canada’s international and internal trade obligations, where applicable, and respects provincial and territorial jurisdiction to support Canadian content levels in public transit projects by supporting domestic labour market and suppliers while ensuring that public funds are used to provide the best value to Canadians.”
Boshcoff explained the approved motion means the Government of Canada will do business in an entirely new way with regards to public projects.
“This idea came from my meeting with both labour and manufacturing, and the near loss of some huge contracts for the Bombardier plant in Thunder Bay,” he noted.
“All G-7 countries, [the] European union . . . has a domestic contents policy. We were the last.”
Boshcoff said a motion as such was not introduced until he presented the idea.
In order to get everyone on board, Boshcoff said he lobbied across the country with many labour groups and organizations.
“It really took a supreme effort,” he stressed. “I’m really pleased . . . this is the first step. I had to get the door open. This signals a levelling of the playing field.”
Boshcoff praised the significant community effort and support from across Northwestern Ontario as helping to build momentum and getting the motion accepted.
He also indicated he’s now interested in seeing how the bill takes affect and how well it will work.
“We have to make sure it’s doing what it’s supposed to do and I’m happy with that [as the next step],” Boshcoff remarked. “My next set of plans is to keep working on the forestry file.”
On the heels of passage of Boshcoff’s Canadian content motion on Parliament Hill, Ontario NDP leader Howard Hampton introduced legislation Monday referred to as “Buy Ontario” to protect manufacturing jobs in the province.
He announced his plans last week at the Bombardier plant, noting his bill is being put forth when Queen’s Park also is seeing Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Bill Mauro’s private member’s bill about Canadian content.
“What it does is ensure that when public money, taxpayers’ money, is spent on transit vehicles, subways, streetcars, that a lot of the work happens in Ontario,” Hampton explained, noting the U.S., Mexico, many countries in Europe, and even Quebec have similar policies.
He said Ontario did have a “Buy Ontario” policy, specific to the Bombardier plant, from 1992 until 2005, when the McGuinty government abandoned it.
“We’re just saying this needs to be brought back right away,” Hampton said.
He added he’d like the legislation to make sure 50 percent of all money spent on public transit projects remains in the province.
“I think the McGuinty government is really starting to feel some pressure on this,” Hampton remarked. “I think they know that what they did back in 2005 was a big mistake and so I think we’ll be able to push them on this.”
But Hampton feels besides the “Buy Ontario” legislation, there’s more that can be done.
He’s urging the provincial government to look at something similar to Manitoba’s Refundable Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit, which has helped to maintain manufacturing jobs there.
“Because we’ve lost so many manufacturing jobs—10,000 in the forest side of manufacturing alone—Ontario needs to do something to help sustain and maintain those jobs,” Hampton stressed.
“[The] McGuinty government can’t just stand there and watch 200,000 good manufacturing jobs disappear. Too many communities get hurt. Too many people get hurt and overall damages Ontario’s economy.”
These initiatives are all focused on the provincial budget, which comes down next Tuesday (March 25).
“We’re trying to put forward some thoughtful, workable, practical ideas that will make a positive difference in working people’s lives,” Hampton said.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
