Tory Leader Tim Hudak, the man who hates “corporate welfare,” is surrounded by government subsidies

For the past two days he was eager to talk about the private sector successes only to find the two firms he visited had received provincial and federal grants respectively to help boost employment.

“I don’t blame companies that are trying to get some of their money back,” he said, when asked if his organizers were having trouble finding companies that haven’t accepted government funding.

But he quickly added that he still doesn’t believe in giving out cheques “to the well-connected” but rather create the conditions so that all businesses “succeed on a fair, level playing field.”

On Monday he talked about his undefined million jobs plan at MetalWorks recording studio in Mississauga, where founder Gil Moore talked about the importance of provincial funding for the music industry.

And then Tuesday, Hudak chose to make his standard jobs pitch, including his opposition to government bailouts, at Automatic Coating Limited, which received $50,000 from the federal Conservative government in January.

Hudak is a staunch opponent of government handouts, saying it’s the private sector that creates jobs when taxes are low and electricity prices are reasonable, among other things.

“I’ve got a clear plan: affordable energy, lower taxes, less government debt, a greater emphasis on the skilled trades,” he told reporters.

In contrast, Hudak said Liberal Leader Kathleen Wynne lacks the discipline to create good-paying jobs.

“We have a premier who is not focused on the most important thing and that’s creating jobs,” he said.

“You know what I want to be if I get the job (as premier)? I will be the jobs premier. It’s that simple.”

Hudak said he is more concerned about creating “good middle-class jobs” not minimum wages jobs. “If you want somebody who is going to be focused on part-time minimum wage jobs . . . that’s what Kathleen Wynne is all about.”

The Progressive Conservative leader said he wakes up every day wondering how to create more jobs, including 200,000 skilled trades jobs.

He has called for a greater roll for Ontario’s community colleges to focus on the skilled trades.

However, when asked what Ontario’s unemployment rate is, he could not provide a number‎ at first, only that it was above the national average. On a second go around, he said it was more than 7 per cent.

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As of February, the Ontario unemployment rate is 7.3 per cent, above the national average of 6.9 per cent.

Hudak said his plan concentrates on job growth in the private sector.

“If you are looking for somebody who is going to expand the payroll in government, don’t look at me,” he said.