Premier Doug Ford says the province is putting together a jobs and recovery committee that will develop a plan to stimulate economic growth and job creation in the weeks and months ahead.
The committee will represent every sector in the Ontario economy and includes many MPP’s and provincial ministers, who are tasked with ensuring the economy will bounce back after businesses are allowed to reopen once the COVID-19 public health crisis is over.
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“While we weather this storm we must also plan for what’s on the other side of these dark clouds,” Ford said at Queen’s Park on Thursday alongside Minister of Finance Rod Phillips. “We must be ready when the time comes to reopen the economy, to get back to work.”
"While our government battles this virus, members of our new Ontario Jobs and Recovery Committee will roll up their sleeves and develop a roadmap to a stronger, more prosperous economy."
The government says the committee will be consulting with a wide variety of people to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the provincial economy and develop an action plan to move forward. This will include business associations, chambers of commerce, municipal leaders, corporate leaders, small business owners, and entrepreneurs.
The committee will be made comprised of the following people:
This announcement comes after over 400,000 people in the province lost their job due to the COVID-19 pandemic last month, while more than 1 million jobs were lost on a national level.
"While we focus our energy and resources on defeating COVID-19, today's job numbers highlight why we also need to plan for an economic recovery," said Rod Phillips, Minister of Finance.
"At Premier Ford's request, I have convened the Ontario Jobs and Recovery Committee. And our first order of business is to prepare for the next phase of Ontario's Action Plan, which will be ready to launch as soon as COVID-19 is contained. This team will get our economy moving again ― with a focus on job creation, opportunities for growth, and protecting our province from future threats."
