News Analysis
One of Ottawa’s biggest selling points for its record subsidy to Volkswagen—which could top $13 billion—is the potential creation of tens of thousands of jobs. But leading public policy expert Jack Mintz is highly skeptical and also questions how the feds project to cover the cost of the new gigafactory in under five years.
The plant, in St. Thomas, Ontario, will generate about $200 billion in value and will be the largest manufacturing plant in Canada, according to the government’s April 21 news release.
At a news conference in the southwestern Ontario city, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, ”Yes, this investment is a big one,” adding that it was part of a strategic vision taken to invest in the battery and auto-making supply chain in Canada….