No one knows exactly how things will turn out in the ongoing and topsy-turvy trade war started by U.S. President Donald Trump.
However, the MPP for Bay of Quinte riding Tyler Allsopp told members of the Belleville Chamber of Commerce Friday that the province has plans in place to ease the pain for both businesses and workers.
Allsopp said the province could end up investing up to $10 billion in the next few years and a good chunk of that would be for retraining workers.
Audio Player“The full effects of the tariffs, if they are that 25 per cent level across the board, might be up to 450,000 jobs so
we want to make sure that we’re ready for that so we can reeducate people for jobs that are more durable and exist into the future.”
Allsopp told Quinte News that tariffs on the auto industry could hit the Quinte region very hard with thousands of workers employed in parts-making plants owned by Magna Autosytems, Magna International and Hanon Systems.
He says he’ll be at the government table advocating for the Quinte region since the area will be among the hardest hit by tariffs in the country.
Audio Player“Any of the funds that are put forward, whether from money collected through tariffs or some of the solutions that we put forward including $10 billion relief for businesses, that that flows into our area to shore up our businesses, make sure that people are taking home a paycheque, able to feed their families, put food on the table.”
Meanwhile Allsopp says the provincial government is going to provide more support to post-secondary institutions including Loyalist College as many struggle with federal cutbacks to the numbers of international students allowed to enter the country.
Loyalist administration had to dramatically reduce the number of programs offered which will reduce its staff by around 20 per cent.
Allsopp says the province hadn’t been funding colleges properly for the past several years.
Audio Player“The influx of international students was certainly masking the fact that the funding hadn’t been increased in a long time. That was a sustainable business, provided they (international students) kept coming. Well unfortunately they’re no longer coming so we’ll need to step up the funding.”
On another subject, Allsopp told Quinte News that he continues to push for a detox centre in the Quinte region saying provincial support for The Bridge Integrated Services Hub was a great start but detox for people addicted to harmful drugs is also important.
As part of his address to chamber members, Allsopp outlined some of the investments his government had made in his riding recently.
They include $11.7 million for upgrades to Second Dug Hill Road in Quinte West, $19.8 million for the rehabilitation of County Road 49 in Prince Edward County, and $19 million over three years in HART (Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment) funding.
