Local industry needs access to $2B in aid
Niagara’s Conservative MPs say the federal Liberal government needs to make it easier for local companies to access $2-billion in financial aid — before more workers lose their jobs as a result of the ongoing U.S. trade dispute.
“A lot of businesses that are paying tariffs are probably going to have to lay people off,” said Niagara West MP Dean Allison. “That’s what we’re trying to figure out, is how can we help businesses that are writing checks every week to actually pay the duties to get their products across the border, given the fact that the U.S. is doing that to us.”
Allison teamed up with Niagara Falls MP Rob Nicholson, Wednesday, to meet with about a dozen local industry representatives at the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce office in St. Catharines, hoping to “listen to what’s going on and try to ascertain is there some recommendations we can take back that will be helpful.”
They also met with south Niagara business owners at ASW Steel Inc. in Welland a day earlier, as well as business representatives in several communities throughout the past week, with additional meetings scheduled in the days to come.
“The government announced $2 billion for tariff relief, but I haven’t found anybody who has been able to access that or make it work for them, and that’s all we want to see happen,” Nicholson said, adding the funding needs to be easily accessible. “That’s what it’s there for, to help these people.”
St. Catharines Liberal MP Chris Bittle said he has yet to hear from any local business that has expressed an interest in the program.
Bittle said his constituents “don’t want us to back down from (U.S. President) Donald Trump.”
“We’re only going to sign a deal that’s good for Canada,” he said.
“When we’re dealing with the United States, it should be all hands on deck,” he said.
“It’s unfortunate to have the leader of the opposition (Andrew Scheer) and other members of Parliament working against that goal. We all want to get a deal done, but we want a deal that’s good for Canada.”