QUEEN'S PARK – Dalton McGuinty should change his haphazard and failed policies and look to encourage long-term auto investments by lowering the cost of doing business in Ontario, Progressive Conservative MPPs said today.

“What is Dalton McGuinty’s plan to encourage auto investment in Ontario?” said PC Finance Critic Tim Hudak. “The reality is that the McGuinty government’s outdated tax-and-spend policies and increasing red tape burden have made Ontario one of the highest cost jurisdictions to do business. They have chased away 30,000 auto sector jobs and reduced Ontario to have-not status."

Since 2005, the McGuinty Liberals have spent nearly $1 billion on auto sector companies only to see 30,000 well-paying auto manufacturing jobs leave Ontario. That works out to almost $220 per Ontario family just to see plants close and thousands lose their jobs in communities like Woodstock, Oshawa, St. Thomas, Guelph and Brampton.

“As the auto industry changes to survive, Dalton McGuinty must try to think beyond the short-term and fundamentally change his auto policy so that we can ensure a competitive auto industry for Ontario's children and grandchildren,” said PC Critic for Economic Development Ted Chudleigh.

“How many more jobs will we have to lose before Dalton McGuinty stands up for Ontario families? The McGuinty Liberals must make Ontario an attractive place for the auto sector to invest by embracing a new approach of lower business taxes, less red tape and increase affordable energy supply,” said Hudak. “This time we need some real job guarantees for taxpayers' money."