FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 30, 2014
OTTAWA – Following claims from Cliffs Resources’ chief executive officer that the future of the Ring of Fire is in question, New Democrats are demanding Conservatives drop the silent treatment and work to make sure the project moves forward.
Today, NDP MP Claude Gravelle (Nickel Belt) demanded answers from the Conservatives as to when Northern Ontarians can finally expect the economic investment in the Ring of Fire they’ve been promised.
Claude Gravelle:
The new CEO of Cliffs Natural Resources sees zero hope of developing the Ring of Fire in the next 50 years, he cites no plan, no infrastructure, no leadership.
This means no jobs, no investments for Northern Ontario and no benefits to Ontario’s broader mining, finance and technology sectors.
Almost all of the government’s Ring of Fire announcements failed to materialize. When will this government show the leadership it promised over a year ago and work with Ontario to make Ring of Fire happen?
Greg Rickford, Minister of Natural Resources:
First, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for his generally positive tone and effective interaction he has had on Ring of Fire up until that question was put. The president’s remarks are, indeed, regrettable.
While Cliffs has taken a business decision regarding its operations in the Ring of Fire, industry proponents, communities, including first nations communities, the government of Ontario and our government are quite optimistic about the prospects for Ring of Fire and we will continue to work collaboratively to ensure that we maximize the enormous economic potential for the Ring of Fire and the infrastructure that is required to support those projects.
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For more information, please contact:
Emily-Anne Paul, Press Secretary, 613-558-0674 or Emily-Anne.Paul@parl.gc.ca