Budget under wraps

Thunder Bay’s MPPs are being tightlipped about what may or may not be in next week’s provincial budget.

Minister of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry Michael Gravelle on Friday said it wouldn’t be fair to speculate on the budget’s content until it is released next Thursday by Finance Minister Dwight Duncan.

"I learned some time ago that it’s not helpful to speculate. The work that we do behind the scenes is important, I think and hopefully has an influence. But we also recognize that budgets are challenging for any finance minister. This is a particularly challenging one with the major deficit that we’re facing," Gravelle said.

The province had a $24.7 billion shortfall in the 2009-2010 budget, but despite the stated priority to cut the deficit this time around, Gravelle is still hopeful Thursday’s budget will contain plenty of goodies for Northwestern Ontario.

"As a northern Member of (Provincial) Parliament and a minister, we’ve got some goals and objectives. I know that our government is highly sensitive to the needs of Northern Ontario. Certainly I think the minister of finance is as well," Gravelle said, refusing to give any more specifics.

MPP Bill Mauro (Lib.- Thunder Bay-Atikokan), said there are a couple of things he wants to see included, but didn’t want to jinx anything before the announcement was made.

"I can’t speak about those right now. What I can say is that as chair of (the) Northern caucus, all seven members are very much engaged in issues related to Northern Ontario. We have issues specific to the North that we’ve been advocating for, and we will be watching and hoping and listening very carefully next week to what the minister has to report," Mauro said.

He did say he expects Ring of Fire mineral development to be included in the budget, given Premier Dalton McGuinty’s very public comments about the region in both the throne speech and a recent fundraising dinner.

"I think it speaks very positively in terms of the public support that people are looking for, to know that government is behind certain initiatives and I think that’s very clear," Mauro said.

Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce president Harold Wilson said he’s curious to learn the specifics of where the provincial money will be spent and what new initiatives will be announced.

"I think we’re in a position right now where we want to see some really strong investments and really strong direction in where we want to go," Wilson said. "Do they have an expenditure issue, or is a revenue issue, and how does that balance."

Wilson added that he expects some belt-tightening after a couple of years of stimulus spending, but the big question is where the savings will be met.

"If you’re going to cut back on something like the (Northern Ontario) Heritage Fund, that may not be the best bet because you actually get a much better return on those dollars in terms of the economy and being able to multiply the effects on the economy. Whereas there are some expenditures that they might make, you scratch your head and say why would we be doing that?"