Industry Minister Tony Clement’s remarks that Sudbury faced a “Valley of Death” without the CVRD buy-out are irresponsible, disrespectful and patently false. By making unfounded, sensational accusations, the minister remains an embarrassment in his portfolio and should be removed.

A closer examination clearly indicates that Sudbury holds great promise for the next generation of mining. We have at least 30 years of proven resources here in the Sudbury Basin – a supply enviable to any mining company seeking global investment opportunities. We also have the best trained and experienced mine workers in the world - another competitive asset. Let’s also not forget that we can boast of one of the best mining supply and services networks here in Sudbury.

Clement’s incredible suggestion that no one wanted Inco is equally ludicrous. There were at least three other companies competing for the company only two short years ago.

The suggestion attributed to Vale Inco’s president and CEO Tito Martins that Sudbury’s operations are unsustainable also warrants further reflection. Sustainability can and must be considered from several perspectives.

The current Vale model of sustainable operations may be too narrow and not reflective of Canadian values. If the company is to successfully operate in Canada, it should pay closer attention to these values which reflect not only cultural differences but also our culture of compromise and co-operative labour relations. Cross cultural awareness is a two way street.

This is not the first time the industry minister has let his personal distain for Sudbury fog his judgement on the future of our mining sector. He clearly dropped the ball on the CEMI file. He has been fumbling the ball ever since. He needs to resign.

Gary Holman
Liberal candidate for Sudbury