When you look back at what drove Niagara's economy 15 years ago and compare it to now, it's not hard to understand why it's weakened.
Our economy was driven by manufacturing in the auto and steel sectors and we still had an abundance of farmland where grapes and other fruits were grown.
Farmers didn't have to worry about processing plants closing. Where did all the good-paying manufacturing jobs go? Why are the farmers seeing Cadbury- Schweppes and now CanGro close up processing plants?
The loss of jobs and uncertain future can all be traced to NAFTA, the deal the Liberals signed with the United States and Mexico. When Canada signed on, the Liberals told the public it would bring more and better-paying jobs. What the Liberals didn't tell everyone is that we would have to compete against a third-world country like Mexico, where wages, environmental regulations and health and safety laws are substandard.
It was the corporations that convinced the Liberals to push for NAFTA and where are those corporations now?
One year after NAFTA was signed, Niagara lost the Ford glass plant. Last time I checked, Ford still put windshields in their vehicles. Where are those jobs now?
Since Canada signed NAFTA, GM in St. Catharines has gone from a workforce of around 8,500 to just under 3,800. Where are those jobs now?
GM, Ford and Chrysler have combined to hire over 100,000 workers in Mexico. That's where the jobs have gone.
Instead of making and selling the product in Canada, we import it. That's NAFTA.
Job losses and plant closures continue to pile up and Niagara farmers face an uncertain future, but Liberal and Conservative MPs will continue to tell us how good NAFTA is for Niagara.
Mike Winterbottom
St. CatharinesThe Standard
