KENORA – Candidate’s Ledger – Dalton McGuinty’s Liberals have unveiled their last minute campaign platform and they are clearly a tired party, bereft of good ideas for Northern Ontario and, given the only “job creation,” commitment is to foreign workers, it would appear there will just be more of the same high cost, high tax, out-of-touch government.
Over the past eight years we have seen mill closure after mill closure in the North. Layoffs and downsizing have severely impacted hard working Northern Ontarians who’ve just been told by McGuinty campaigners that’ll he’ll help foreign workers by subsidizing their salaries. Where’s the help for those of highly qualified, tax-paying Northern Ontario residents with mortgages to pay and families to feed?
This type of out of touch policy is behind the fact we have seen Ontario’s status as a mining jurisdiction decline from number one in the world to a pathetic 19th in the world.
Many of our Northern Communities have been on life support, and, when McGuinty’s Liberals have actually paid attention, they’ve applied plastic bandages. Or, worse, they’ve applied Southern Ontario made policies that have everything to do with catering to special interests and have nothing to do with the North.
The 830,000 people of Northern Ontario deserve better and only Rod McKay with a Tim Hudak government can offer a better future. One fact that is increasingly clear is, while mills remain shuttered, the Liberals fiddle with and restrict wood fibre allocation as they and the NDP nervously watch the reaction of Southern Ontario environmentalists.
In contrast, Tim Hudak and Rod McKay are clearly addressing the issue by committing to an annual harvest of 26 million cubic metres. This harvest level has been proven wholly sustainable, and it gives the forestry sector reason to start investing in our mills again. Investment in our mills will generate real jobs and put Northern Ontario back to work
Making good sense economically, Rod and the Progressive Conservative Party are setting the stage for business success to be shared with communities. No empty promises here, Changebook North is clear. Money from mining taxes will flow to Northern communities, and this will be accomplished without raising fees for industry.
Truly, it is time to say hello to jobs and a better future for Northern Ontario.
Rod McKay
Candidate
Progressive Conservative Party
Kenora Rainy River
