WATERLOO – Following today’s Statistics Canada Labour Force survey, which revealed that Ontario was the only province or territory in Canada to suffer job losses in May, the Official Opposition NDP’s critic for Economic Development and Job Creation, MPP Catherine Fife (Waterloo) issued a statement:
“As we see the rest of Canada beginning to rebound from the shock of COVID-19, Ontario remains in economic freefall. While other provinces have stepped up to protect jobs, support businesses, and ban commercial evictions, Doug Ford has sat on his hands during this economic crisis while businesses go under and jobs disappear.
We are seeing the consequences of Doug Ford’s failure to support businesses. The Premier likes to call himself a ‘numbers guy’, so he should start by reading these Statistics Canada figures. Words don’t save jobs, actions do. I hear from business owners every day who are fed up with the Premier’s lack of action while they face laying off staff and shutting their doors forever.
We’ve known for weeks that landlords would refuse to take part in the federal rent relief program, yet Ford still won’t step up with desperately needed provincial supports. The Premier can help businesses right now by banning commercial evictions and offering rent relief. Every day that the Ford government refuses to act costs Ontarians more jobs and pushes more businesses to the breaking point.”