It's the all new Northern Cabinet
Friday, March 01, 2013 by: Darren Taylor
It looks like Northern Ontario may get more political clout than it has in the past.
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, gathered in Sault Ste. Marie today with her entire cabinet for a full round of meetings with a wide array of local figures from a variety of sectors, announced today that her government has created a new Northern cabinet committee.
Wynne made the announcement after a special cabinet meeting held this morning at Bondar Place.
The committee will be chaired by Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Bill Mauro.
Wynne made the announcement with Sault Ste. Marie MPP and Minister of Natural Resources David Orazietti at her side, and surrounded by 25 members of the 27-member cabinet.
“It (the committee) speaks volumes of the Premier’s commitment to Northern Ontario and my cabinet colleagues’ commitment to the challenges Northerners are facing,” Orazietti said.
Keeping in mind Wynne’s minority government faces the possibility of an election in the near future, Orazietti added “we’re going to work with the opposition parties to engage those members who also represent Northern ridings to get their feedback, so it truly is an inclusive process.”
Cabinet ministers will be meeting with local stakeholders who have concerns and issues that directly involve their individual portfolios today, such as officials from Algoma University, Sault College, Sault Area Hospital and business leaders.
Wynne said “we know infrastructure investment, jobs for young people in the North are the ongoing discussions we need to have, and that’s part of the reason I wanted to have a Northern cabinet committee because those are the issues we need to make sure we have a Northern lens on.”
Wynne took a number of questions regarding a variety of issues from the media gathered at Bondar Place today, including a question from SooToday.com regarding the importance of small to medium sized businesses as local job creators.
“The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation has been doing that, the impact on Sault Ste. Marie has been over $50 million in investment (to help small and medium sized businesses). One of the reasons we came here was to have a jobs roundtable. We’ll be meeting businesses today to understand what the barriers are to their growth,” Wynne said.
“Government has to create the conditions to create those jobs. We’re committed to that in every community across the province.”
Orazietti added those conditions to create jobs include quality healthcare, infrastructure and educational facilities.
Earlier, SooToday.com spoke with the Ministers of Transportation and Health regarding local concerns in those areas.
Check back with SooToday.com later today for more details.
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.
Prrrrrrr 3/1/2013 3:03:44 PM ReportThat's a good looking group, I hope they can swing it around...
mallet 3/1/2013 3:37:34 PM ReportPrrrrrr..
Yeah, it's group okay, I'd just like to see them all swing... preferably at the end of a rope.
W. Yote 3/1/2013 4:28:37 PM ReportWow when asked about small - medium sized businesses she brought up the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund which was brought in 25 years ago and only because of a movement calling for a new Northen province!
molder2 3/1/2013 4:47:27 PM ReportPlease Lord save me! l`m surrounded...
I'm In 3/1/2013 5:16:40 PM ReportC'MON MAN, give them a chance, at least the North will be heard, since when did we have Premier that cared about the North, do you want the PC's running the province, remember "HARRIS". Maybe the NDP if they change there thinking about spending money they don't have.
PipeBomb 3/1/2013 5:41:17 PM ReportYAY!!!! More of the same old same old with the terrible Liberal government. If this wasn't a complete BS media PR move I don't know what is. David is horrible. The Liberal government is awful. I have no respect for them anymore. At this point, I'd even consider voting for the "Make the world better with a hug" NDPs. NOW THAT is desperate.
Paddlenut 3/1/2013 6:13:55 PM ReportYeah people. I'd much rather have Hudak in that spotlight announcing the complete closure of the OLG office due to its full the privatization, then hopping over to Northern Breweries for an announcement that a new convenience store is popping up selling beers for a buck, creating 2 new minimum-wage jobs for the Sault....
newcon 3/1/2013 6:26:29 PM ReportCan we all please stand with hands together and sing "kum-by-ya".???
If jobs are to be created then entice the Private Sector into creating them by rolling back crippling regulation and union politics. And don't lose sight of the purpose of the "minimum wage", it is there as a TEMPORARY means of subsidy for students or casual retirees; it's not a livable sustanance for those who don't wish to educate and advance themselves. And then there's the issue of discipline....there isn't any. Implement a Boot Camp for kids who refuse to go to school and for those who want to live a life of social dependancy. And while we're at it PRIVATIZE THE INFRASTRUCTURE and eliminmate the position of municipal CAO throughout the entire province as this is only a back door for corrupt despots unable to succeed in the profession of Law.
Newcon
Kishido 3/1/2013 6:40:08 PM ReportWhen I was a kid, the phrase "Talk is Cheap" was very common. Lets just see if they follow their talk with action. I am not holding my breath on that.
OrlandoFlorida 3/1/2013 8:02:00 PM ReportThere they are talking about jobs for Northern Ontario, from the lobby of the OLG. I guess no one told them that after they GIVE the OLG away, lottery jobs will be leaving the Sault. Oh ya the head office will be here still, but the Premier didn't say how many people will be working in it after the give away. A kiosk in the mall will probably be big enough for the new head office location.
James O'Brien 3/1/2013 8:46:00 PM ReportWhy does this disturbed individual named AceofBass get away with regularly posting homophobic hate mongering. This has happened several times since this cabinet meeting was announced.
Moderator?
newcon 3/1/2013 10:27:03 PM ReportI didn't see any homophobic slurrs...only hetro hatred from the group of anomolies and social pariahs that brought us the term "homophobic".
khari 3/2/2013 10:24:43 AM ReportPrrrrrr lmao Good one!!
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.
