THUNDER BAY – Northern Ontario communities face many similar challenges when it comes to infrastructure, affordable housing and economic development, says the chair of the Liberal’s Northern Ontario caucus.
Six Liberal members of parliament representing ridings across Northern Ontario converged in Thunder Bay on Thursday, as their group came to the city for the first time.
The Northern Ontario Liberal caucus, which includes city MPs Don Rusnak and Patty Hajdu, was revived following the 2015 federal election when the party gained a stronghold of seven seats across the region, spanning from Kenora to North Bay.
“It’s an opportunity to bring these issues out in a smaller group, smaller caucus so we bring it forward to the government or some issues back to the House of Commons,” caucus chair Marc Serre said.
“Caucuses, in my opinion, really make a big difference and they do help to bring those issues to Cabinet, to bring it to ministers to change legislation because it’s an opportunity for caucus members to get together at the grassroots and really hash out some of the important elements.”
Specifically, caucus members highlighted the five-year $25 million increase to the FedNor budget that was achieved largely as a result of their lobbying Finance Minister Bill Morneau.
Serre, who represents the Sudbury-area Nickel Belt riding, said the meetings across the region allow the members to get out of “the bubble” of Ottawa where they hold regular weekly meetings when the House of Commons is sitting.
“Being here in Thunder Bay is understanding what the local issues are but when you look at the issues in Thunder Bay, they’re not all that different from other issues across Northern Ontario,” Serre said.
Not present at the meeting was Kenora MP Bob Nault, who had previously committed to touring First Nations communities in his riding. Nault on Wednesday released an opinion column addressing the suicide crisis across Northern Ontario.
Rusnak, the MP for Thunder Bay-Rainy River, recently joined Nault and federal Health Minister Jane Philpott on a visit to Wunnumin Lake First Nation. He said it’s important for his fellow MPs as well as cabinet ministers to visit communities facing challenges.
“Making the decisions from Ottawa, not actually seeing the communities and being in there, doesn’t work as effectively,” Rusnak said.
With Parliament in the middle of their summer recesses, many MPs are looking ahead to the fall session and trying to identify the most prevalent issues facing their constituencies.
In Northern Ontario, that means trying to spur the economy to offset “tremendous losses” suffered in the resource industry over the past decade.
“We’re looking at ways we can advocate for economic opportunity here in the North,” Rusnak said. “We’re looking at ways we can support the communities and ways we can support the job creation here in the riding and across Northern Ontario.”
