A Progressive Conservative government would offer a special hydro rate to Cliffs to help develop the Ring of Fire, Tory Leader Tim Hudak said in Sudbury on the weekend.
Hudak, who leads in the polls but is not close to having enough support to win a majority government, was in town just days before the release of the provincial budget. Before appearing at a town hall meeting at College Boreal on Saturday, he spoke with Northern Life on a range of local issues.
He made it clear that developing the chromite find in northwestern Ontario would be a major priority if he were in power.
“The fact of the matter is (Cliffs) needs a break, because the Liberals have done such damage to our hydro system,” Hudak said. “We’ve gone from one of the most affordable and reliable hydro systems in North America, to now the most expensive for industry and manufacturing.”
He said his government would bring in a hydro rate for industry and resource-based companies that would allow them to compete with rates in other provinces.
Hudak would help pay for it by cancelling the Liberal government’s solar and wind program, which sees the province buy power from anyone who qualifies, whether the energy is needed or not. Hudak said he would rather buy cheaper power from Quebec or Manitoba than spend big dollars on energy Ontario doesn’t need.
“When you sign contracts to take power even when you don’t need it, and pay Quebec and New York to take it off our hands, that’s going to cause significant damage to our ability to attract jobs,” he said. “So the first rule when you’re in a hole is that you stop digging and climb your way out.
Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak addresses a gathering of the party faithful Saturday at a town hall meeting at Collège Boréal. Photo by Darren MacDonald.
“Everyone supports renewable energy, but it has to be done for a reasonable cost.”
He likens the Ring of Fire to the oil sands in Alberta and potash in Manitoba. To make sure it’s developed fully, he said he would have a cabinet minister focused on the project.
“Just like the Sudbury Basin was a game changer for Ontario’s and Canada’s development … it helped build our province,” Hudak said. “They would also ensure the transportation corridor is there, to bring the ore south to be developed, hopefully, in Capreol.”
A Tory government would also cancel the OLG’s modernization plans, which include a major casino-building project across the province. Hudak said it’s throwing 65,000 people in the horseracing industry out of work. Instead of doing that, he said slots facilities could instead expand if the market demands it.
“We would park that plan on the shelf, and focus on what actually works,” he said. “If you’re going to add in a blackjack table or a few roulette wheels, why wouldn’t you add them where we already have a gaming facility?”
As for the amenities Sudbury hopes to leverage from a casino development, Hudak said creating jobs is a better way to help cities afford to build infrastructure. “If you want to build a new arena, you need to have people working so you can afford it.”
But cities would be able to have broader access to gas tax revenue under his government, Hudak said. Rather than tie it to subways or municipal transit systems, he would let municipalities decide how to spend it.
“We all pay gas taxes, so our point of view is every community should benefit from gas tax funding,” he said. “Let the local council decide what the priorities are – is it the highway? Is it roads? Is it a bus? We’re going to let local councils make that decision.”
In the broader picture, Hudak said his government would seek to shrink the size of government, reduce spending and eliminate regulations that hold back business.
“When I’m in Sudbury … I ask people, is Ontario on the right track? And the answer I get is no. Particularly in Northern Ontario, people know we can do a hell of a lot better.
“We need to go down a bold and different path.”
