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Post by Max on May 9, 2007 19:41:01 GMT -3
 The pic is not as interesting as what John Tory had to say the day this picture was taken. He's against mining taxes. The mayor mining tax idea has now been shot dowm by the Liberals and the PC party. |
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Post by Max on Aug 24, 2007 12:26:29 GMT -3
I don't think the mayor gets it. Tory is not giving the mayor mining royalities.
Tory hasn't got message: mayor; Sudburians react to his plan for Northern Ontario
Rachel Punch / The Sudbury Star
Local News - Friday, August 24, 2007 @ 09:00
Sudbury's mayor says Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory hasn't quite got the message from Northern Ontario. "I think John Tory is listening, but he's got to listen closer," said Mayor John Rodriguez.
Tory announced his strategy for Northern Ontario - titled N.O.R.T.H., for Natural Resources, Opportunities, Roads, Technology and Higher Education - in Thunder Bay on Thursday.
Northern Development and Mines Minister Rick Bartolucci said he "can't wait to debate" with Tory about his northern platform when campaigning for the Oct. 10 election officially starts.
"I'm still working here at Queen's Park trying to get money and opportunity for my constituents and he's laying out platforms," Bartolucci said.
"I have to clearly tell the people I represent (the platforms) are not in our best interest."
A highlight of Tory's plan is to move 10 per cent of government office space to Northern and rural Ontario.
Rodriguez said that would be a positive step and is one of the recommendations made by northern mayors.
Bartolucci said he would like to know how many jobs would move to Sudbury.
"That's what Sudburians want to hear," he said.
Tory could not be reached for comment on Thursday. Louis Delongchamp, Sudbury riding's PC candidate, said it's too early to tell where those jobs would go.
"He is not the premier yet ... The details will come in due time," Delongchamp said.
The idea of decentralizing government offices began in Liberal Premier David Peterson's era.
"John Tory should be commended for taking another good Liberal idea, and that is continuing ... to make sure government jobs are in Northern Ontario," Bartolucci said.
Brian Gatien, first vice-chair of the Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, said anything that generates economic activity in Northern Ontario would be welcome.
"I think the notion of moving jobs north is fine," he said. "Certainly, we are always looking to add job opportunities for the population."
Gatien said money for infrastructure such as highways and bridges is "absolutely, fundamentally important.
"Highways are one of the major pieces of infrastructure that are necessary to move the economy of the North," he said.
One thing missing from Tory's announcement was any mention of the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation.
Bartolucci said his government has invested $262 million into Northern Ontario over the last four years through the fund, which has leveraged another $835 million additional dollars.
He said this has created more than 8,000 jobs.
Rodriguez said it is imperative for the fund to continue. In fact, he would like to see it increase from $60 million to $100 million.
When asked about the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation, Delongchamp said Tory's plans in the North are to target natural resources, cut the red tape and create job opportunities for young people.
"I'm just talking about what he plans on doing," Delongchamp said.
Rodriguez said what is also missing from the Tory plan is a commitment to sharing resource revenues with the North.
"We need to have a sustainable arrangement structure for resource sharing, and he didn't touch that at all," Rodriguez said.
The North also needs a development plan designed by people in Northern Ontario laying out how to diversify the economy.
"I think (Tory) is on the right track, but he's got to keep coming," Rodriguez said.
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Post by Max on Sept 17, 2007 16:10:29 GMT -3
Don't count on mining revenue, McGuinty tells Sudbury mayor; Premier says province looks to see who needs the most help
Posted By Bob Vaillancourt - Sudbury Star
Posted 6 hours ago
Greater Sudbury Mayor John Rodriguez, who last week seemed to be endorsing the election campaign of Nickel Belt Liberal candidate Ron Dupuis, didn't get reciprocal treatment from Ontario Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty during his election campaign stop Friday in Sudbury.
Rodriquez vowed during his election for mayor last year that he would try to convince the Ontario government that more of the revenue generated by mining activities should stay here.
Asked for his view on that issue, McGuinty responded there are people in southern Ontario, particularly Toronto, who feel too much of their money is sent out of that area when it could be better used there.
"I understand and respect the mayor's perspective on this," said McGuinty.
But as a provincial government, "it's our collective responsibility to lend support and make sure that nobody falls behind."
The role of the provincial government is to "from a crow's nest perspective, look around on a continuing basis and say, 'alright, who needs the most help at any one particular time.' And that's what we've tried to do," said McGuinty. "We are all in this together."
After Rodriguez participated in the official opening of Dupuis' campaign office last week, Dupuis' campaign staff issued a press release saying Rodriguez, a former NDP MP in the Nickel Belt riding, was supporting his candidacy.
But when asked about it, Rodriquez said he was not supporting any candidate, but merely acting in his capacity of mayor at the official opening.
What was contained in the press release, suggested the mayor, was a "distillation" of what he had actually said at the ceremony.
Similarly, a "distillation" of what McGuinty said about the mayor's quest for more money would be "no."
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