Sudbury Green Party candidate David Robinson says the Ontario government should be investing in mining research to ensure Greater Sudbury’s primary industry is as green as it can be.
Robinson issued the statement after Greg Rickford’s April 5 visit to Sudbury for a funding announcement. During that event, the minister of Northern Development, Mines, Forestry and Indigenous Affairs said nickel is so important that there is no green economy without it, and he said environmental activists should understand that.
Calling Rickford’s words a “rant”, Robinson said he agrees with the sentiment, but said Ontario should go a step further.
"Rickford is right, as far as he goes, the world does need the metals from Northern Ontario to fight climate change,” Robinson said. “The world also needs a clean, green mining industry, and that means Rickford's government should be investing in Sudbury' mining university and mining supply sector."
And while he agreed with the sentiment, Robinson said the cabinet minister shouldn’t use it to wag his finger at activists.
“Where Rickford gets lost is when he uses the global crisis to attack environmental groups that are pushing for higher environmental standards,” the candidate stated. “The unions and the environmental groups that have fought for better labour conditions and taught environmental protection are the heroes here, not Mr Rickford. The First Nations trying to protect their traditional territories are the good guys.
“Mr Rickford's job is to make sure we have the highest standards and produce the greenest metals in the world, not to attack the people who are fighting for improvements."
Robinson also used the opportunity to criticize the Ontario government’s response to the financial crisis at Laurentian University.
"Rickford can talk all he wants about the supply chain, but it was his government that pushed Laurentian University under the bus,” he is quoted saying. “If we are going to compete globally we should be building talent, not kneecapping our training institutions. Ontario's supply chain has to supply the mining talent and technology. And the epicenter for this is Sudbury."
The minister’s message, Robinson said, was basically to tell environmentalists and First Nations “to get out of the way and let the companies mine.”
"He said they are getting in the way of the fight again climate change. It is a comical thing to hear from a government that has done everything it can to stall the fight against climate change,” Robinson said. “It is an absolutely outrageous accusation coming from a government that cutting environmental standard, building highways on agricultural land and using ministerial orders to hand wetlands over to developers."
Robinson said the Green Plan for Sudbury will bring “thousands of new jobs to the city (and would) make Northern Ontario the greenest, cleanest, most desirable source for battery metals in the world.”
