From the interview:

Michael Gravelle said he's pleased with the progress his government has made, despite comments from opposition politicians and business that the $60-billion project is languishing under the Liberal guidance.

“We have a clear plan and we're implementing it,” Gravelle said, who said they have made significant progress in recent weeks.

He said major mining projects routinely take a lot of time to get off the ground, pointing to the Victor Diamond Mine in Quebec, and even Tottem Mine in Sudbury.

“It often takes years before these projects come to fruition,” Gravelle said.

He said the development corporation they have set up for the Ring is making progress, and pointed to the framework agreement signed in March with the nine Matawa-member First Nations that sets guidelines for both sides to move forward with a negotiations.

While MPP Michael Mantha, the NDP's critic for Northern Development and Mines, dismissed the Devco as little more than “four bureaucrats sitting at a table playing euchre,” Gravelle said it's the way such major projects have to be developed.

“I'm pleased with the progress we've made so far.”

Why doesn't he tell us anything then? We don't even know if they've received the Deloitte plan? He doesn't have to tell about the status of the negotiations, but he could inform us of the process, what has been achieved and what are the next steps? Who is talking to who (when the framework agreement was negotiated, we knew that Rae was talking to Iacobucci - we did not know what they were talking about, but we knew they were talking)? What are the timelines and so on?

Why is he so closed about what is going on? I thought the government was for transparancy.

Anyway, I don't understand the statement about that they're implementing the plan - I thought it was up to the board of the development company at stage two to decide on a plan, and the implement it? I thought the only job for the four bureaucrats at stage one was to decide who was going to be represented on the board. Am I wrong?

The statement about mines take years to develop, isn't that beside the point?

On the other hand, it seems to me that Fideli has got it right!

He repeated his plan to start small in the Ring by building an all-season road to Webequie First Nation.

“One of the companies (Noront) is interested in getting the nickel out – it's not the sexy chromite, the big-money chromite, but it's easier to get at,” Fedeli said. “We would help the company build a road from the Ring over to Webequie, the nearest First Nation community in consultation with Webequie and the Mattawa and all the First Nations.”

When asked why not start with smaller projects to get restart activity in the area, Gravelle said they are in regular contact with Noront and the other mining companies with stakes in the area.

About what?? What would be jeopardized by starting small? Let some of the FN see the benefits of road access, and a mine with a small enviromental footprint, and take it from there.

Regards DRA