Skip to content

PC critic returns to region

The Progressive Conservative’s northern development critic spent another day in Thunder Bay Wednesday in an effort to polish the party’s policies and platform for this region.
The Progressive Conservative’s northern development critic spent another day in Thunder Bay Wednesday in an effort to polish the party’s policies and platform for this region.

MPP Randy Hillier (PC, Lanark, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington) serves as his party’s critic for northern development and labour in Ontario’s legislature. He arrived in the city Wednesday as part of his fourth trip through Northern Ontario since jumping into the new role as critic.

"We’re speaking with people, businesses, community leaders and developing that policy on how we can reinvigorate and create prosperity in the North and give the North the decision-making power that it needs to be prosperous," Hillier said.

A number of topics made the discussion list for the PC’s local visit. One of the bigger issues on that list included the Liberal’s Far North Planning Act.

"About 50 per cent of the North will be off limits from any development, any economic or infrastructure development," he said. "That will be a huge and significant hardship and will ensure stagnation in many parts of the North."

Energy and the use of Crown land also dominated many discussions the conservative MPP had during his local visit.

Hillier added that Premier Dalton McGuinty and MPP Michael Gravelle, who also serves as the minister for northern development, have failed to make this region prosperous.

"Unfortunately (Gravelle) is connected with a party that has no ideas and has no political will to initiate and changes or reforms that need to happen for the north to grow," he said.




push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks