Finance Minister heckles Northern rail advocates in legislature
Friday, August 31, 2012 by: SooToday.com Staff
NEWS RELEASE
ONTARIO NORTHLAND GENERAL
CHAIRPERSON'S ASSOCIATION
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Minister Duncan heckles Northerners in legislature
NORTH BAY - Representatives from the General Chairperson’s Association (GCA) which represents all unionized employees at Ontario Northland (ONTC) were at Queen’s Park Tuesday to support the campaign by communities from Muskoka to the Far North on the importance of the Northlander to their area.
During question period, when the government was as asked about their plan to abandon the north with the cancellation of the Northlander train service, Finance Minister Dwight Duncan could be heard heckling: “Nobody is on the train! Nobody is on the train!!”
“We are appalled by the comments of the Finance Minister. We are well aware of the childish heckling antics of the government side but what is disconcerting is the undertones of contempt and complete a lack of respect for the 40,500 Northerners who rely on the Northlander yearly. Mr. Duncan should immediately apologize for his disparaging comments to Northerners inferring that they are nobodies!” said GCA spokesperson Brian Kelly.
The GCA wrote Finance Minister Duncan earlier this month over his revealing comments to the Standing Committee on Estimate where he declared that the ONTC Pension Plan was “horribly mismanaged.”
Minister Duncan’s comments has rocked current employees and retirees alike who are at a lost to understand as to how the province has mismanaged our Pension Plan and demanded Duncan to investigate and report to Plan Members the seriousness of this mismanagement.
Minister Duncan has yet to reply to this shocking disclosure.
“Minister Duncan, Northerners value and depend on the Northlander passenger train service, they take the train at an ever increasing number for many reasons. Your government’s plan to cancel the important rail service is just another example of your government’s disdain for anything north of highway 7. Minister Duncan’s childish and irresponsible heckling in the legislature referencing Northerner’s as 'nobody' is more evidence that the contempt for the North is pervasive in the government benches,” concluded Kelly.
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geterdun 8/31/2012 12:55:47 PM ReportHe is a dirt bag and a slime ball....Just goes to show us what these ignorant politicians think of us in the North...These liberals certainly dont give a rats behind about any one but themselves......This is typical Liberal behaviour...cant wait for the scum bag liberal to come up North.....oh wait they dont come here unless they are stealing our money and our jobs....All Hail the politicians......the mighty and the great politicians...... Twit Duncan king of the world.......LMAO
my70monaco 8/31/2012 1:03:26 PM ReportOur local MPP David Orazietti seems to be awfully quiet on this issue. Are we not part of Northern Ontario?
Justin Tetreault 8/31/2012 1:20:43 PM ReportWhy is Soo Today spending so much coverage on Northland. It doesn't affect Sault Ste. Marie. How many of those 40,000 people a year are Saulites.
The fact is that Northland is bleeding money, has been for years, and it's not worth propping up with millions of dollars in government spending. It's not a vast anti-Northern Ontario conspiracy.
Justin Tetreault 8/31/2012 1:24:07 PM Report"Minister Duncan’s childish and irresponsible heckling in the legislature referencing Northerner’s as 'nobody' is more evidence that the contempt for the North is pervasive in the government benches,”"
This is the biggest stretch I've seen in my life. He wasn't saying Northerners are nobodies. He's saying literally no one rides the train. It costs the government $24 million dollars a year in support to prop it up. For 40,000 people.
Steven_P 8/31/2012 1:32:35 PM ReportWhy should this remark surprise anyone?
I've tried to watch Question Period several times and I can usually only last several minutes before I have to turn the channel in disgust.
The childish antics and lack of order in public is appalling.
The next time I watch I will have to record just how many times the Speaker must call for order in the House...I bet it would even make for a better drinking game than 'Hi Bob!'.
Justin Tetreault 8/31/2012 1:45:32 PM ReportDid this even happen? Here is a link to the Hansard transcript from Tuesday. No questions about Ontario Northland at all and no remark from Duncan.
http://tinyurl.com/hansardnorthland
streaker 8/31/2012 2:39:22 PM ReportJustin sounds like you are a die hard liberal supporter.this 24 million to keep the rail running is a drop in the bucket compared to all the waste this liberal government is costing us. (eg)the mississauga power plant move no one knows how much estimated 190 million (more like billions) the orange ambulance fiasco billions, the health gate????AND ON AND ON AND ON !!!this government has no intention of caring for the people of ontario including our own David Orazietti!!!
Justin Tetreault 8/31/2012 2:45:46 PM ReportSorry my number was way off.
The subsidy has gone from $28 million in 2003 to $103 million this year. The Liberal government has plowed $439 million into Ontario Northland since taking power, trying to help it become viable and it hasn't worked.
And every party campaigned on cancelling the Mississauga power plant in the last election.
So it's not $24 million. It's $103 million PER YEAR and growing to support a rail line that serves 40,000 passengers a year, when there are busses and other means of transportation also available.
geterdun 8/31/2012 3:42:15 PM ReportYea Justin your right who cares about the people in the North they can hitch hike for all you liberals care.....I would say any liberal who is crying about spending money needs to go look at what you Libs have wasted in eight years......just read the blog by streaker he nailed a few of your many finacial failures......again the libs dont care about the people up here and that will surely be made clear at the next election believe me......havnt heard much from Orazzetti on this one why is that?????? LIBERALS = LIARS
mallet 8/31/2012 4:53:30 PM ReportJustin...
You sound exactly like Dr Beeching when he destroyed British Rail in the 60's. All in the wonderful words of "economy", however lets just take a look at this, is the line used solely for passengers or does freight run over it too? How many locos are for that train solely and if so how many new have been purchased? how much new/refurbished rolling stock has been purchased/renewed? How many people are employed solely for that train? And how far off the Hiway 11 corridor does it run? Maybe you could answer these question to give a little more background besides the figures you use.
Just Curious 8/31/2012 5:00:37 PM ReportJustin,ever tried to take a bus to Moosenee????Jerk....
Resident 8/31/2012 5:16:01 PM ReportMy views are Liberal but I DEFINITELY believe in rail service (passenger and freight). I have emailed David Orazietti(sp). I got a response from our MPP which said that ditching the Northland was for economic reasons (amongst much rhetoric). I responded but haven't heard back. The Liberals are acting like the cons!
I'm In 8/31/2012 5:27:02 PM ReportThey need the money for Dwight Dduncan so he can eat he is 100 Ilbs. overweight, reminds me of PORKY PIG
Grump 9/1/2012 10:49:28 AM ReportWow what a bunch of cry babies. Yes it's a shame to lose the railway. That said I would like all you darlings that have absolutely no connection or use for this railway to step up and offer to cover this 103 million dollar loss this year. I'm sure I pay too much taxes already so I sure as hell don't wish to support this white elephant any longer. We don't have passenger service into the Sault so tell me what you whiners want. Should we continue to support this rail line to service less people that live in the Sault without rail service. Let's try engaging the brain before we whine.
speed7 9/2/2012 9:09:14 PM ReportHa! This is nothing wait!
I hope some of you get to see full circle, what happens under a conservative government. Its uneducated voters like some of you who keep thinking things will change. That is if northern ontario votes in more conservatives. Northland was cut and we might not get it back. Conservatives like Hudak do not care about the north because they have there back room deals with big corportations. That leaves you that little "Ant" on the ground with sixteen tons behind him. Just like that austrailian millionare tycoon and her rude statement to the public " Work Hard, Drink and Smoke Less"! Nice capitalistic attitude that was!! Let's depress the masses, brainwash them and make them work more. Nice!
Note: Comments that appear on the site are not the opinion of SooToday.com. Keep discussions civil and on topic. Refrain from obscenity and don't post anything that your grandmother would be ashamed to read. Those who do not abide by these guidelines will have their membership revoked without notice. If you see an abusive post, please click the link beside the post to report it.
