Gilles Bisson

Timmins Daily Press
By: Jeff Labine,
Tuesday, November 18, 2014


MPP says Ontario dragging its feet on Ring of Fire

TIMMINS - The MPP for Timmins-James Bay is blaming the Liberal government for squandering the proposed Ring of Fire project and causing friction with mining companies.

Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa delivered his fall economic statement, saying the government is working to meet fiscal targets despite modest economic growth and later than expected revenues. He said the revenue projection for 2014-15 is $118.4 billion – $509 million lower than first forecast.

In that same report, Sousa once again called on the federal government to match the Liberal's $1-billion investment into the Ring of Fire.

New Democrat MPP Gilles Bisson said because the Liberals have dragged their feet, major companies like Cliffs Natural Resources have left the project. He said Cliffs and many other mining companies continue to voice their frustration with the government.

“They have been talking about the Ring of Fire for eight or nine years,” he said. “They have mentioned it now in two or three budgets and a couple of Throne Speeches. Now they got this fallacy going on that they are going to do something when it comes to infrastructure in the Ring of Fire but we have to wait for the feds.

“If the province wanted to act six, seven years ago when they should have, we would have been building a mine in the Ring of Fire right now. They are trying to make it look like they are trying to do something when they have actually done nothing.”

He added that his party already knew what had to be done which included supporting the mining industry, produce the materials in Ontario and establish revenue sharing with First Nation communities.

Sousa said they were overachieving when it came to fiscal targets claiming it was because of good management of program spending. He said they will be able to balance the budget through a number of steps including reviewing and transforming programs, ensuring everyone pays taxes and unlocking provincial assets.

“We are determined to build a fairer and healthier Ontario,” Sousa said in his speech in at Queen's Park. “From now until our next budget, this government is pursuing its mandate for action. The basis for what we are doing is four pillars. We are investing in people’s skills and talents. We are building modern infrastructure and transportation networks. We are creating a supportive and dynamic business climate. We are ensuring retirement security for everyone in Ontario. In short, we are creating opportunity and security for all.”

Bisson said if that's what the Liberal government calls overachieving, he'd hate to see what underachieving looks like. He said all of the government's promises are smoke and mirrors.



“This is not the first government in the world to invest in hospitals, schools, etc.,” he said. “Government has a budget that is set out that has been there for years where every government since Ontario has been a province spends money on infrastructure. These make it look like they are the only guys who have ever done it. It is part of the regular budget. They tend to make a big do over nothing. This is stuff that every government since I've been there since 1990 have been doing.”

He explained everyone agreed to the idea of full-day kindergarten and pointed out that Timmins has had something similar in place for years before it was brought in.

Bisson also continued to call the new mandatory provincial pension plan a scam and said the Liberals are more interested in the federal government's pooled registered pension plans than actually dealing with pension plan issues.