The Canadian Press

McGuinty defends $250 million grant to GM, despite 1,400 layoffs in Windsor

Tue May 13, 10:54 AM

By The Associated Press

TORONTO - Premier Dalton McGuinty says he doesn't regret giving General Motors $250 million of Ontario taxpayers' money, even though the company is closing its Windsor transmission plant.

About 1,400 people will lose their jobs when GM closes the Windsor facility, which comes on top of the 1,000 layoffs the company announced last month at its Oshawa truck plant.

McGuinty says the Ontario government gets job guarantees whenever it invests money with an automaker, but only for the specific project.

He says no auto companies will sign deals that guarantee no jobs will be lost at any of their other plants in Ontario.

NDP Leader Howard Hampton says McGuinty should have secured firm job guarantees from GM and every other large, international automaker it gave money to.

But McGuinty notes Ontario has been the number one automaker in North America for the past four years and credits his government's direct investments with companies.

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