KENORA – POLITICS – As I travel across the riding there’s one message that becomes clearer with every story I hear, whether it’s from a Mayor, Councillor, Chief or the average northerner just trying to make a living for their family. It’s time to invest in the north. We can no longer sit on the sidelines and watch the rest of Ontario surge ahead. And that’s exactly what I’ll be aiming to do over the next few years.
Of course this initiative has been made all the more clear with the recent layoffs at Goldcorp. Many communities in our riding depend on one industry and therefore fall victim to the booms and busts that often define mining and forestry.
So, it’s time to invest and it’s time to diversify. With the upcoming budget, we plan on making a substantial investment in infrastructure to get our economy going. Here in the north, by investing in all-weather roads, we can connect to an entirely new population of consumers. The twinning of the Trans-Canada will also make necessary changes to a highway that is deterring travel into the region.
Another investment we’ll be making in the budget is more money for training. By diversifying the training that people in the riding can access, we can change the shape of our economy. We can flatten the ups and downs by providing other good-paying and more stable jobs in the communities.
We also need to look at our energy costs. We need to have an energy strategy that makes it affordable for not only businesses in our area, but also residents.
While we wait to hear the official budget, it’s clear that it’s time to stand up for our riding. I’ll be working hard to ensure that we get a fair piece of the pie so that we can move our economy forward and make northwestern Ontario a fantastic place to live once again.
Bob Nault MP
Kenora
