Southern Ontario deserves better than broken economic development promises

KITCHENER - Frank Valeriote, Liberal Critic for the Southern Ontario Economic Development Agency (SODA), again decried the Conservative government's slow action in implementing their January budget promise to get SODA up and running.

"Southern Ontario is suffering from a jobs crisis," said Mr. Valeriote. "Yet seven months since the budget, not one penny of the $206 million that was to be invested in Southern Ontario this year has flowed. What a terrible, lost opportunity."

In January's 2009 Budget, Stephen Harper promised $1 billion over 5 years for a new Southern Ontario development agency to help workers, communities and businesses. Far from beginning within 120 days of the budget as promised by Minister Flaherty, seven months later none of these funds have flowed. No application processes has been announced, no project criteria have been developed and no website exists.

"In the month since the Prime Minister announced the launch of SODA - and its new Kitchener headquarters - to great fanfare, we see nothing but another empty storefront," Mr. Valeriote said. "While this region keeps losing quality, full-time jobs, the Conservatives can't even create jobs in the SODA office, never mind in communities hard hit by factory closures."

Since October, 268,900 Ontarians have lost high-quality, full-time jobs.

"Letting Canada fall behind is just not good enough. Canadians deserve better."