It should come as no shock that GM Oshawa plant is closing

Re: Get tough with General Motors Trumpstyle, union leader says — Nov. 30

Like most people I am sympathetic to those that will lose their jobs in 2019 when the Oshawa GM plant is closed. The soon to be displaced unskilled workers are unlikely to find similar employment that pays the same compensation. But unless you were living under a rock you must have seen this coming.

So who is to blame? The NDP and Liberals want to blame the company. Do not lose track of the fact that companies are owned by real people. Most Canadians own shares in GM through their private or public pension plans like the CPP, OMERS or the Teachers’ Pension Plan. Shareholders never stop pushing GM management for a higher rate of return on their investment. So what’s the surprise when the GM management reorganizes to deliver what is demanded of them?

Left of centre politicians at all levels of government declared war on the automobile many years ago. The result is the need for fewer cars. GM builds cars in many countries. You can bet that high taxes, electricity and labour costs and hundreds if not thousands of regulations factored in their decision to leave Oshawa. Leaders of Magna and Fiat Chrysler told our leaders several times that the cost of doing business in Ontario is too high. So don’t act shocked when companies take action.

Al Beaupre

Kitchener