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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday August 8, 2007 - 3 Need Help Choosing a New Bathroom? See our design team! Looking for something different? You'll find it here. We specialize in importing and supplying quality ceramics, porcelain, and natural stone with a variety of exclusive lines. Check Out Our BACKSPLASH SHOWROOM & EXTENSIVE NATURAL STONE DISPLAY TRAVERTINES GLASS MOSAICS SLATE GRANITE MARBLE PORCELAIN NATURAL STONE TRAVERTINES GLASS MOSAICS SLATE GRANITE MARBLE PORCELAIN NATURAL STONE TRAVERTINES GLASS MOSAICS SLATE GRANITE MARBLE PORCELAIN NATURAL STONE TRAVERTINES GLASS MOSAICS SLATE GRANITE MARBLE PORCELAIN NATURAL STONE TRAVERTINES GLASS MOSAICS SLATE GRANITE MARBLE PORCELAIN NATURAL STONE Factory Tile Depot LIESA KORTMANN / OAKVILLE BEAVER AT THE PODIUM: Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty addressed the Oakville Chamber of Commerce as its guest speaker at a luncheon meeting yesterday. McGuinty claims E.I. unfair to Ontario workers Tile selection made enjoyable! FACTORY TILE DEPOT 1360 Speers Road, Oakville (East of third line) Continued from page 1 that our competitors are getting smarter and more skilled everyday and so must we," said McGuinty. "We can win and we can succeed, but the only way is by agreement and building and working together." McGuinty pointed out that the old ways of doing business, in which a government would lower taxes for businesses and then back off, are no longer enough to drive an economy and a more hands-on approach is needed. McGuinty pointed to the Ontario government's $500 million auto investment fund, which he says has allowed the government to leverage $7 billion in new investment and secured thousands of high-skill jobs, including 4,000 jobs at Ford of Canada's Oakville plant. "We decided that in today's business climate the government had to pitch in and compete for jobs and invest alongside our entrepreneurs," said McGuinty. "We said to the auto industry, `we'll work with you and we'll put money on the table if you will come to Ontario and invest in new technologies and processes because those will secure jobs today and tomorrow.' The opposition calls this corporate welfare. Management and labour call it long overdue." McGuinty said this initiative has paid off in spades, as for the first time since the invention of the car, Ontario is the number one auto producer in North America. However, McGuinty followed "Someone out there is going to develop the best and most affordable clean car and I want that group of people to be us." Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty up that statement with an acknowledgement that there is much more work that needs to be done and he is looking to the federal government to help with three things he feels will go a long way to completing that work. "We put in place a $500 million Advanced Manufacturing Strategy Fund designed to help Ontario manufacturers invest in new technologies and innovations. This has helped to create and retain about 3,000 jobs in the sectors of aviation and advanced construction," said McGuinty. "The feds should match this." McGuinty also wants the Harper government to match Ontario's contribution to a recently announced $650 million Next Generation Jobs Fund, which is designed to leverage private sector investment in the research and development of new green technologies that can be marketed to the world. "Someone out there is going to develop the best and most affordable clean car and I want that group of people to be us," he said. "We want those jobs and we are willing to go after them and to make the necessary invest- ments and we want the federal government to match that fund." The final area McGuinty wants the federal government's co-operation is in bringing fairness to the Employment Insurance (E.I.) system. "Ontario workers have to work for more months to qualify for E.I. than workers in other provinces and they get support for fewer weeks than workers in other provinces," he said. "The average regular benefit paid to an unemployed person in provinces outside of Ontario is $9,070. If you lose your job in another province then, on average, you will get $9,070, but in Ontario you get $5,110. That is a gap of almost $4,000 a worker. That is unfair." Besides soliciting the federal government's help, McGuinty also took the time to recognize two outstanding Oakville companies, Cogeco Cable Canada and BOT Construction Group, which are both celebrating their 50th anniversary. Before leaving Oakville the premier also sat down to discuss some of the town's concerns with The Oakville Beaver. On the all too familiar subject of gridlock, the premier noted a number of initiatives were underway to get more vehicles off the roads. "We're making heavy investments in public transit. We've delivered over $5 million to Oakville for transit through the gas tax. The purpose is to make our public transit systems more inviting, more user friendly and 905.465.1650 Mon.-Thurs., 9:30-6, Fri. 9:30-5, Sat., 10-5, Closed Sun. www.factorytiledepot.ca "Joining Herbal Magic has made me a much happier person and showed me that if you treat your body right, it will treat you right. The program has changed the way I eat, from eating anything at anytime to eating more healthy foods throughout the day. I am still surprised at how easy this program is; all you have to do is follow the simple guidelines. And with the staff support, it's really easy and fast!" Alain Lost 127 pounds and 97 inches OUR STAFF HAS DONE IT, SO CAN YOU! OAKVILLE WEST 1500 Upper Middle Rd. W. 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