Delays hurt Sudbury mining centre. Tony's mad about it

NEWS RELEASE

NDP COMMUNICATIONS

************************* NDP to Conservatives: Fund centre for mining excellence now!

OTTAWA - The Conservative government's delay in funding Sudbury's Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI) is unacceptable, according to NDP FedNor critic Tony Martin.

"These delays are undermining CEMI's potential for global leadership and the creation of much-needed jobs," said Martin today.

Five months ago, Martin (Sault Ste. Marie) visited CEMI with fellow NDP MP Charlie Angus (Timmins-James Bay) and Nickel Belt candidate Claude Gravelle.

Martin and Angus returned to Ottawa and immediately called on FedNor to fund the centre.

"Why is this government so slow to recognize what the province, the private sector and community leaders already know about CEMI's potential to lead the way in exploration, deep mining, telerobotics and environmental stewardship?" Martin said.

Gravelle said his visit to CEMI impressed on him the "genius of Northern Ontario know-how."

He added that "a centre for mining excellence would ensure that valuable expertise in the North is not wasted."

"This is another perfect example of why we need FedNor to be a full regional development agency with sufficient funding and community-driven mandates," said Angus. "This is what the NDP's Stand Up for Northern Ontario campaign has been calling for."

*************************