Press Release
Local MPP Sarah Campbell is asking why the Liberal government is unnecessarily delaying important economic development opportunities in Northwestern Ontario.
In Question Period yesterday, Campbell asked why the government is two months’ late in approving Rainy River Resources’ terms of reference for its environmental assessment.
“For years we have looked to this government for job growth and economic development,” said Campbell.
“One project that could have a major impact, resulting in the investment of $700 million and 500 permanent, full-time jobs, is the Rainy River Gold Project,” she noted.
“Far from supporting this investment, this government is needlessly delaying it by being almost two months’ late in approving the terms of reference,” she charged.
“Why is this government not doing everything in its power to promote job growth in Northwestern Ontario?”
Having not received an answer to her first question, Campbell rose again to ask if cuts to the Ministry of Environment were responsible for the unnecessary delays.
“This delay in approving the terms of references is in part ministry incompetence and part this Liberal government’s cuts to the Ministry of Environment—a department whose budget has fallen by 45 percent in real terms since the 1990s and according to the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario lacks the basic resources to do its job,” stated Campbell.
“If this government is serious about job growth and job creation, it needs to ensure that the resources are in place to foster that growth,” she stressed.
“This is not happening.”
