That comment last week by a Liberal MPP about northern Ontario being a "no man's land" continues to cause heated debate in the Legislature.
See: Do we live in 'No man's land?'
Today Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli demanded an apology from Lou Rinaldi, the Liberal member representing the southern Ontario riding of Northumberland—Quinte West.
Fedeli demanded an apology for what he called "a northern slur" but met with an agitated Glenn Thibeault, an MPP from Sudbury.
"The member’s views confirm what this government thinks of us in the North, Fedeli continued.
“They took away our only passenger train, the north is hit harder with their skyrocketing hydro rates, 80 per cent of our lumber mills shut down on their watch, we fell from the #1 mining jurisdiction to the 16th, and the Ring of Fire remains untouched for 10 years,” he said.
“My constituents want an honest answer from this government. Speaker, either they apologize to the North, or they’re telling all their MPPs that it’s OK to answer the North with lies!”
See the exchange below.