ROD McKAY

The elimination of “job-killing red tape” is what local Progressive Conservative candidate Rod McKay is pledging for Northwestern Ontario if elected on Oct. 6.
“People in the north are full of ideas for businesses, and given the right environment and government support would flourish,” said McKay.
But this requires less red tape and bureaucracy, and “more flexibility to grow and develop,” he argued.
A resident of Kenora, McKay has worked in the resource sector for almost 40 years, including as mill manager at Kenora Forest Products since 1997. He most recently was elected to Kenora city council in last fall’s municipal election.
“A strong economic base is the only way to ensure a strong tax base on which the priorities of health care, education, and infrastructure can be funded,” McKay said, referring to where government priorities should be.
“I promise to provide fast, efficient, and customer-friendly service for business people dealing with government and will give great ability to bid on government contracts,” he pledged.
“Most importantly, I promise to be the voice for small business whenever a new legislation or regulation is proposed, particularly if the legislation or regulation will negatively affect and discourage economic growth.”
The PCs will retain the Heritage Fund to support economic development efforts, McKay said, and ensure wealth is shared with northern communities­—such as a portion of revenue from mines and some of the stumpage fees earned in northern forest remaining here.
They’ve also pledged $35 billion towards infrastructure, he said, and would give municipalities access to gas tax revenue to meet local infrastructure needs.
“Everyone pays the gas tax; everyone should benefit,” he stressed, citing the unfairness that some northern communities don’t benefit from the tax due to being too small to have a bus or subway system.
Meanwhile, “jobs, jobs, and more jobs,” is the solution to having youth stay and come to the area, McKay added.
“We can have all other services—health, education, anything—and without jobs, [youth] won’t come home.”
McKay also said the PCs are dedicated to repealing Bill 191, which “in essence puts vast areas of the north in a ‘no-development’ mode by banning economic development.”
“We could have a vast number of mining jobs for our youth,” he reasoned, adding the PC platform calls for local municipalities and First Nations being allowed to keep the revenue from the Mining Tax for any new mines that are developed.
“We will work with northerners to make sure northerners get their share of new jobs in the knowledge-based economy,” he vowed.
McKay also outlined his party’s commitment to health care­, including a pledge of more than a $6-billion investment, introducing a “system of patient satisfaction and outcomes measured,” established wait time guarantees for emergency rooms, increasing the number of nurse practitioners, and building more walk-in clinics.
As for seniors, he noted that, where possible, they should be able to age at home with “appropriate and respectful supports” available.
“We will improve health care for Ontario seniors by renovating 35,000 long-term care beds,” McKay said. “We will support our seniors and free up hospital beds by expanding long-term care with 5,000 new long-term care beds.”
And with many Fort Frances residents in need of an assisted living facility, McKay said he looks forward to helping to do all he can to make that happen.
McKay also said he would vote against the party line—if his constituents asked him to.
PC leader Tim Hudak “expects nothing less,” he remarked, and “[Hudak] gets it that the northwest is different from southern Ontario, has committed to northerners having a stronger voice at Queen’s Park, and need to be in more control of their own communities.”
“I believe people need to see results—they need to see that there are good jobs, they need to see that they are listened to, and they need to feel they count,” added McKay, referring to the low voter turnout of late and disenchantment with the political system.
“For too long in the north, we haven’t counted,” he said. “Now, we can change that together.”