Premier Dalton McGuinty is promising some relief for northern Ontario in Thursday's budget.

McGuinty wouldn't go into detail about the exact measures northerners can look forward to, but says they will go beyond anything announced in the throne speech.

So far, the government has promised to develop a massive chromite deposit known as the Ring of Fire in the James Bay area, but has said little else about how it plans to help a section of the province that has for years been battered by job losses.

McGuinty's announcement comes as the Progressive Conservatives released their ideas for helping Ontario's economy — a 10-point plan that includes creating jobs in northern Ontario.

McGuinty says the only thing behind his announcement is a desire to be fair and take a look at the needs of an area that has been hard-hit in key sectors like forestry.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says it's about time the government came up with some sort of plan for the north, but adds this attempt will likely be seen by northerners as a last-ditch attempt by Liberals to show they care about communities they have ignored for years.