Usual badgering by opposition and the usual deflection by the libs....Hopefully when Algoma is wrapped and the powers to be say so.....the libs can get on with it and light the ring.

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http://www.thesudburystar.com/2017/04/25/kwg-marten-falls-work-toward-ring-development

NORTHERN ECONOMY

Mr. Norm Miller: My question is to the Minister of
Northern Development and Mines. In the three years’
worth of public polling your government tabled quietly in
February, one poll by the Ministry of Finance found that
65% of northern Ontarians were very concerned and 29%
were concerned about their local economies. In total,
94% of northerners are concerned or very concerned
about their local economies.
Does the minister agree that developing the Ring of
Fire will boost the northern economy and alleviate some
of these concerns?

Hon. Bill Mauro: Thank you to the member for the
question. Maybe I’ll deal with the Ring of Fire piece in
the supplementary. Maybe I’ll start by just talking about
the difference in the level of support that has come from
this government to the municipal sector, as opposed to
the level of support that did not come from the opposition
Conservatives when they were in government from 1995
to 2003.
It is very clear and it is very obvious to the municipal
sector right across the province of Ontario—not just in
northern Ontario—that the financial assistance that has
flowed through a variety of programs from this government, starting in 2003, has better positioned businesses
right across northern Ontario and has better positioned
local resident taxpayers when it comes to the communities that they live in.
No thanks to the work that went on with eight years of
no support from a Conservative government, but tremendous support through a variety of programs from this
Liberal government since 2003. Those programs are in
place, those programs continue, and local taxpayers are
better positioned as a result.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Norm Miller: I guess the minister didn’t hear my
question: 94% of northerners are concerned about their
local economies. That’s very disturbing.
Northern Ontarians need this government to do something to give them some hope. Mining, especially the
Ring of Fire, offers that hope. This government has made
lots of promises but delivered very little on this file. This
government has more than once announced funding for
transportation infrastructure in the Ring of Fire region.
My question, Mr. Speaker: Would the minister please
tell us how many dollars have been spent on transportation infrastructure in the Ring of Fire region, and when

can we expect to see the physical evidence of some
actual work being done?

Hon. Bill Mauro: Speaker, when it comes to support
for northern communities, you just heard the minister—

Mr. John Yakabuski: Zero and never, thank you very
much.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Stop the clock.
You were doing so well.

Hon. Bill Mauro: Speaker, when it comes to support
for northern communities and businesses based in northern Ontario, you just heard the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry run down quite a significant laundry
list of supports that we have put in place to help 230
communities in northern Ontario that rely on the forest
industry, like bringing back forestry roads programs that
were downloaded by both the previous opposition
parties: the NDP when they were in government and the
Conservatives when they were in government.
Specifically on the mining sector, the member
knows—they want to focus on one project. That’s fine.
They want to try and score a few political points. You
want to talk about mining? Perhaps the member opposite
can speak to why New Gold has just operated a mine four
hours west of Thunder Bay: 600 people on a construction
site; 450 people who will remain employed in that
operation once it’s open.
Mining is continuing to move forward. They want to
focus on the one project. It’s doing very well. Exploration is up—
Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Stop the clock. Be
seated, please.
New question?