In addition to being diagnosed with Bell's palsy last month, the long-time Welland MPP's five-point private member's motion aimed to help the province's - especially Niagara's - faltering manufacturing sector was defeated in the legislature last week.

Kormos's motion, which included initiatives such as a refundable manufacturing investment tax credit, a five-year fixed industrial hydro rate, a "Buy Ontario" program, job protection legislation for laid-off workers and the appointment of a jobs commissioner, was defeated by 20 votes.

Kormos quickly called out the Dalton McGuinty Liberals, saying they'd "abandoned the workers of this province."

"It is trite at this point in Ontario's history to declare that we are suffering an epidemic of job loss in the resource and manufacturing sectors," said Kormos in a media release. "It's a pandemic that's affecting workers and communities across this province from the north to the south."

Kormos introduced the motion on Oct. 2, speaking to other MPPs about the troubled economic sector, particularly in Welland, reminding politicians from across Ontario that John Deere, a famed farm equipment manufacturer, surprised everyone the day after Labour Day by announcing plans to slash 800 jobs and abandon a large industrial factory.

"These workers are skilled, trained, educated, talented and very, very productive," Kormos told the assembly, according to official documents. "But their jobs are gone. Not a couple of jobs, not a couple of layoffs - 800 jobs gone. And it's not just 800 jobs gone; it's an industrial site that will no longer be paying property taxes, based on an industrial assessment."

Much to Kormos' dismay, his motion was defeated, 28-8.

"New Democrats are fighting for working women and men in this province and their jobs," said Kormos. "The workers of this province and their families deserve no less. We simply asked the McGuinty Liberals to join us; unfortunately they chose to turn their back on Ontarians."