Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Job Killer

In politics, once you are forced to argue beyond neat soundbites, you've probably lost the battle. For instance, when one politician comes to town and SIMPLY announces 200 new jobs to a region with plus 9 percent unemployment, that is a slam dunk optical winner. When his opponent comes to town and says he will kill said jobs in the region with plus 9 percent unemployment, due to this and that in the details, he's lost in almost embarrassing fashion:
Hudak vows to kill Samsung green energy deal, 200 jobs

LONDON, ONT.—Tim Hudak was unapologetic Tuesday when he said he’d kill the Liberal government’s $7-billion green energy deal with Samsung — and 200 local jobs.

“We can’t afford it,” the Progressive Conservative leader said on radio station Newstalk 1290 CJBK, referring to the controversial pact with the South Korean manufacturing giant, which he blames for rising electricity rates as Ontario heads toward the Oct. 6 election.

Last week Samsung executives appeared with Liberal Leader Dalton McGuinty in London to announce a new 200-employee plant that will make solar panels in the city, which is struggling for new jobs with a 9.1 per cent unemployment rate.

There is one headline you never want, the one that includes the words JOBS and KILL. Hudak can argue his case, the wider economic argument, but in essence he appears to be advocating KILLING new jobs, because he doesn't like the terms. Unemployed workers in London don't give a rats ass about the terms, what they care about is that the Liberals are offering new jobs, new industry, to counter years of erosion. If the PC braintrust were smart, when McGuinty announced the revised terms pre-writ they would have softened their opposition, but instead they remain stubbornly steadfast.

This issue is a loser all day long, the more Hudak wants to talk about it, the better. Ontarians realize that we've lost many manufacturing jobs and they are NEVER coming back. While the details of the agreement might be a bit of a hard swallow in one sense, the deal still represents a Premier actively trying to lure new investment, progressive employment, as we reinvent our economy. It is simply comical to have Tim Hudak in a local riding, telling voters that he will axe a deal, which will bring economic advantage to the region. Great strategy.

5 comments:

Tof KW said...

Hudak is making John Tory look like a skilled politician.

If Hudak were smart he'd be discussing opening up the agreement to better scrutiny, or re-negotiating; kind of like the federal Libs were doing with the F-35. In other words leave your options open, and do not say that you're scrapping the associated jobs outright.

Seriously, is the OLA running Hudak's campaign? Whoever it is, it's amateur hour at the PC war-room.

Steve V said...

"If Hudak were smart he'd be discussing opening up the agreement to better scrutiny, or re-negotiating; kind of like the federal Libs were doing with the F-35. In other words leave your options open, and do not say that you're scrapping the associated jobs outright."

Exactly!

Anonymous said...

The 200 jobs are a good thing. I tend to look forward to affordable photo voltaic cells manufactured down the road by local workers.

Steve V said...

Mark

These jobs are part of a much wider narrative that McGuinty is trying to transform our economy for the next century. That plays well in a region of the country where we fear being the next rust belt, everyone has seen traditional manufactuing jobs DISAPPEAR.

Tof KW said...

"That plays well in a region of the country where we fear being the next rust belt, everyone has seen traditional manufactuing jobs DISAPPEAR."

The ex-GM locomotive plant in London will likely be the next big industry to go, now that they've been sold to Caterpillar.
Reuters - Caterpillar unit to build rail locomotives in US

The city is very nervous about this plant's fate, so now's the perfect time for Hudak to bumble into London and tell them he's killing future jobs.