GCA Asks What Conservatives Have Planned For Ontario Northland

GCA President, Phil Koning is questioning if Ontario Northland will be subject of discussion during the North Ontario PC summit this Friday and Saturday.

He reminds Tory that under the party’s previous leaders Mike Harris and Ernie Eves, the policy was that the government would try to dismantle Ontario Northland and sell off the assets, a notion that was soundly rejected in the last election.

Koning says with an election close at hand the Conservatives are setting their policies, and that the GCA has questioned how Ontario Northland would fit into their government’s plans for north-eastern Ontario but has yet to receive a response.

Full details are contained in the news release below.

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The GCA is wondering whether or not the Conservative Party will include Ontario Northland in their policies to develop Northern Ontario or revive their attempt to sell off the public agency which has been operating in the region for over 100 years.

“The Conservatives tried to dismantle Ontario Northland and sell off the assets under their previous leader, but the voters rejected that platform in the last election. With the election coming next year and the Conservatives setting their policies, the GCA wrote to new leader, John Tory, asking how Ontario Northland would fit into their government’s plans for Northeastern Ontario , but there has been no response so far” said GCA President, Phil Koning.

Even though John Tory has stated public sector job losses were greater in Northern Ontario than elsewhere, the Conservative party still has privatization advocates supporting the party and may try to sell Ontario Northland in spite of the disaster caused in British Columbia after the government in that province sold their railroad to CN in 2001.

“The sale of BC Rail to CN has resulted in increased costs to shippers, loss of jobs in the region and compromised safety to the point Transport Canada has had to issue orders against CN to protect lives and the environment. No one can convince me, privatization of regional railroads produces benefits for the areas in which they operate” declared Koning.

Conservative leader John Tory is in North Bay this week to seek public input into policy development and privatization advocate, Tasha Keiriddin was slated to be the guest speaker. The GCA hopes the Conservatives have learned what voters want to see in their policies, but remain doubtful. “As the NOLUM group has stated, a strong, sustainable Northern Ontario can provide the solutions to Southern Ontario’s problems of gridlock and landuse pressure, but the governments policies have to encourage growth in our region, not increase the youth out-migration” concluded Koning.

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