Northerners are very sensitive to changes in their political influence at Queens Park.  For decades, people in our region have complained about the lack of “voices” in government.  That’s why we have a Minister of Northern Development and Mines.

When Tim Hudak and Andrea Horwath announced they would be axing the number of cabinet posts, I wondered whether this would include Natural Resources (MNR) or Northern Development and Mines (MNDM).  I figured I would ask the Liberal leader as well.  To my surprise two of the three leaders dodged the question.  Only Tim Hudak answered (though we did ask Hudak yesterday on a media conference call and he didn’t have a full answer).

This was a question someone like Kathleen Wynne and Andrea Horwath should have been able to respond to quickly and clearly.  Both floundered.  So when I called around to local incumbents such as Gilles Bisson in Timmins or David Orazietti in Sault Ste. Marie, it was northern MPPs who were left to clean up after the comments made earlier in the day.

Orazietti and Liberal staffers clarified that the Liberals are committed to two ministries.  But why couldn’t Kathleen Wynne say that earlier?

I appreciate this may have caught her off guard, but wouldn’t the appropriate answer be defaulted to “we are committed to maintaining our northern ministries”? As for the NDP and PCs, surely they must knew someone will ask for specifics when they announce proposed cuts?

So to summarize – I created a chart to illustrate the change in view from the morning to this evening.

Party

Morning

Afternoon

Liberal

“So I am not going to pre-empt the decisions I might make when I come back in -- but I will tell you that I am going to make sure that we have a strong cabinet.” – Kathleen Wynne

“…. These two ministries need to be separate entities. They’ve operated under our government in that way and they will continue to do so.” – David Orazietti

PC

Amalgamate MNR with MNDM

Amalgamate MNR with MNDM

NDP

“What I said is that I would be getting rid of ministers -- eight ministers in particular and collapsing those functions into other ministers”

 

When pressed further …

 

“I will be laying out specifics when the platform goes forward…”

“New Democrats have been a voice for Northerners for a long time and we're going to ensure they continue to have a voice at the Cabinet table with a Minister for Northern Development.” – NDP staffer


Whether amalgamating the two ministries is a good idea or not will ultimately be up to voters, but already David Orazietti says it would be bad for the north, saying “It doesn’t surprise me that you’re hearing the leaders of the NDP being uncertain about what they’re going to do, but certain about cutting ministries, and the leader of the Conservative party is going to cut 100,000+ jobs and combine ministries that would see northerners and residents in Sault Ste. Marie lose their jobs that’s not something we’re prepared to stand for in this party.”

That may be the case now, but this morning Kathleen Wynne’s message said something very different. Food for thought as we head towards June 12th.