MPP to McGuinty: Keep rail freight division – by Staff (North Bay Nugget – September 24, 2012)

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The provincial government should retain Ontario Northland’s rail freight division, Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli said in a letter hand-delivered to Premier Dalton McGuinty’s office.

At the same time, Fedeli said, Northern Development Minister Rick Bartolucci should be replaced, while responsibility for the ONTC is shifted to the Ministry of Transportation.

Fedeli said the recommendations are a result of months of study which found the government will achieve no savings through its “ONTC fire sale.”

“Based on what I’ve found and what I’ve heard, it’s clear . . . that Ontario Northland’s rail freight service is strategic infrastructure that is critical to economic development and private sector job creation in Northern Ontario,” Fedeli said in a media release Monday.

“That’s why the stakeholders believe the rail freight division must remain publicly owned. It should be treated the same way as highways and other essential services.”

The letter also urged McGuinty to appoint a board for the ONTC based on transportation and business expertise, and to conduct a strategic asset review of ONTC assets, operations and services.

“That review must include consultation with Northern business and municipal leaders, and allow the ONTC unions to compete for any service being considered for privatization,” said Fedeli.

“The focus for each decision must be private-sector job creation in the North.”

Fedeli and PC leader Tim Hudak will host a town hall meeting in North Bay Wednesday from 6 to 7 p.m. at the North Bay Legion.

For the original version of this article, please go to the North Bay Nugget website: http://www.nugget.ca/2012/09/24/mpp-to-mcguinty-keep-rail-freight-division