Thanks Peter, amazing what you can find out with a google search.

To be fair, Harper (with Rickford as Minister of Mines) declined to match Wynne’s $1 billion in 2014. pg 3, https://tbchamber.ca/wp-content/uploads/Ring-of-Fire-Report_Thunder-Bay.pdf

Harper was PM when NOT hit $7 and watched it fall to $0.29 before Trudeau was elected. I think the stars have to align to have a provincial government willing to spend political capital on getting the first nations agreement and a federal government willing to spend a ton of money on a project in an area that is not exactly seat rich. Harper funded the tar sands because Alberta is a huge voting base for the Conservatives. Northern Ontario is heavily Liberal/NDP. If I was looking for the road to be funded by the Feds I’d be looking for the Liberal/NDP to be governing at the Federal level. 

Why do you think NDP are anti-mining? NDP have the weakest environmental policies of all the parties because of their primary industries union membership base. It’s not a coincidence Dipper strongholds are Steeltown Hamilton and Mining/Forestry Northern Ontario.

PC are southern ontario based, heavily influenced by land developers and bible belt. I was wrong betting that Ford would spend political capital on getting agreements from first nations for the road and the Ring. He’s been bankrolled by GTA land developers, look at highway 413 he’s trying to push through for housing developers and the provincial land he’s selling to condo builders on the cheap. I’d say the Liberals have the same tie with land developers but they’ve got better odds at winning Northern Ontario seats so are willing to spend political capital there.