TORONTO -- Now is the time to act to help the auto sector because "dithering can be catastrophic," says Oshawa Mayor John Gray.
Mayor Gray was one of about 30 Ontario mayors who met in Toronto today to discuss the fledgling
North American auto industry.
They mayors are calling on the federal government to loan money to Chrysler, General Motors and Ford so the 'Big Three' can get through this tough economic time, Mayor Gray said.
Municipalities also need help training people on layoffs so they can find new, meaningful employment, he said.
"How do you train such a number of people in a short period of time?" the Oshawa mayor asked.
The mayors spoke out today to be a "unified voice" and show they were prepared to fight to keep jobs in their communities, said London Mayor Anne Marie DiCicco-Best.
Oakville Mayor Rob Burton said there is a "cancer on our economy today and it is a crisis of credit."
People need to stop listening to "smart asses" who spread false information and say the Big Three automakers don't make products customers want because that is false, Mayor Burton said.
Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis outlined the wide-ranging effects the declining auto industry has on a community. It is not just auto workers who lose their jobs – 'Mom and Pop' coffee shops, dentists, dry cleaners and other small businesses are all affected when there are layoffs, he said.
The news conference comes on the same day the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association called on the federal government, which has put up billions of dollars to ease the banks' credit crunch, to ensure that financing is made available to the 3,500 auto dealers.
--with files from Richard Brennan of the Toronto Star
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