There are four northern Liberal MPPs holding Cabinet portfolios after the Cabinet shuffle.
Al Spacek is the president of the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities and he says this is a good thing for residents in the north. He says he’s pleased to see some veteran ministers back and the northern portfolio has now grown.
This includes Michael Gravelle who will remain as the Minister of Northern Development and Mines. Gravelle is an MPP from Thunder Bay – Superior North and has held this portfolio for several years.
David Orazietti will become a part of the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Orazietti is representing the riding of Sault Ste. Marie. His role will be to help the province in its effort to modernize the Police Services Act.
Sudbury MPP Glenn Thibeault was promoted to Minister of Energy, which puts him at the Executive Council. Energy costs continue to go up and Spacek says having a northerner on the portfolio should help that growing concern.
Bill Mauro is now the Minister of Municipal Affairs. The Thunder Bay – Atikokan MPP was the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, but after the shuffle he moves into this role.
Spacek says this will help moving forward as the north has a message they want Queens Park to hear. He says these ministers have been champions at helping them do that and Spacek says they expect that to continue.
The legislative session has now adjourned until September, but Spacek says there will be a number of items they will continue to pursue throughout the summer and heading into the fall session. He says that includes energy pricing which he says is a challenge for businesses and residents in the north.
The president of FONOM adds the environmental file, in which groups are resisting economic activity in northern Ontario, is something that needs to be addressed.
