The Liberal government needs to come clean with northerners on whether or not infrastructure money is being set aside to develop the Ring of Fire project. The multi-billion project was overlooked in the Liberal platform and now the recent Liberal budget. Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus says statements by Liberal MPs that the government is doing its part through investments in clean water, education and Indigenous infrastructure just doesn’t cut it.
“Let’s not kid anyone here. Dealing with the crisis in education and lack of clean water is a constitutional and moral obligation of the federal government. They have to do this work. It should not be spun as the federal Liberals getting a multi-billion dollar mining project off the ground. That would be like pretending that fixing schools in Toronto is the federal role in building subways.”
Angus says the Liberals need to explain what money will be put into the infrastructure of the Ring of Fire. There is a clear role for the federal government in infrastructure. Kathleen Wynne asked the Harper Conservative government to match the province’s 1 billion dollar infrastructure investment, which, they failed to do. It is now time for the Federal Liberals to deliver.
“Spin won’t get this project started. We hear a lot about a federal role in infrastructure investments in the south. We need to get down to brass tacks about what kind of commitment is being made for infrastructure into the Ring of Fire. This is crucial for building a sustainable economy for communities across the north – both Indigenous and non-Indigenous.”
Contact Charlie Angus
Timmins:
202-60 Wilson Avenue
Timmins Ontario P4N 2S7
Tel: 705-268-6464
Fax: 705-268-6460
Kirkland Lake:
201-30 Second Street
Kirkland Lake, ON P2N 3H7
Tel: 705-567-2747
Fax:705-567-5232
Ottawa:
649-D Centre Block
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
Tel: 613 992 2919
Fax 613 992 0747
charlie.angus@parl.gc.ca