Although predictably critical of Monday’s throne speech, Sudbury NDP MPP Jamie West said he is cautiously optimistic the province will make strategic investments in Northern Ontario.
At the same time, he’s not exactly holding his breath.
In the speech, delivered by Lt.-Gov. Elizabeth Dowdeswell on behalf of Premier Doug Ford to kick off the second session of the 42nd Parliament, infrastructure investment was cited as key.
In particular, she noted their goal is to build an economy that makes Ontario the best place in the world to do business, work and raise a family, “no matter where you live in the province.”
This statement drew West’s attention, especially when coming from a government he criticizes for focusing too much of its energies on the south.
“I’ve always been an optimist, (and) I’m hopeful that we’re going to finally four-lane Highway 69,” the New Democrats’ northern infrastructure critic said of the longstanding effort that has yet to reach completion.
Completing work on the north-south highway linking Greater Sudbury with Toronto has been in the works for years and was a pledge the Liberals made approximately 15 years ago. In its 2021 Ontario Highways Program, the province highlighted about 60 kilometres of four-laning work to be done.
Still, West is critical of the Progressive Conservatives, saying they are delaying action on four-laning the remaining 68 kilometres.
“I want the government to be successful,” West said, adding that he’d happily join the Progressive Conservatives in celebration if they were to complete the project.
“I haven’t heard a teasing of an announcement about it, so I’m starting to get cynical at this point. … I don’t see any movement; I don’t see any signs announcing it. I’d be thrilled if they made the announcement but I won’t be holding my breath.”
As the province eases further into pandemic recovery, he said infrastructure investment will be an important key toward spurring economic growth and there’s plenty of aging infrastructure in the North for the government to lend their attention to.
Although the throne speech was capped by its affirmation that the government “remains steadfast in its commitment to an economic and fiscal recovery that is fuelled by economic growth, not painful tax hikes or spending cuts,” the bulk of it centred on the province’s handling of the pandemic and their determination to avoid future lockdowns.
Ontario has pursued “the most cautious reopening in Canada,” Dowdeswell relayed in her reading of the speech, citing high vaccine thresholds for easing restrictions, indoor masking and vaccine policies intended to protect the most vulnerable Ontarians as positive actions.
Despite this, she said the COVID-19 pandemic “remains an urgent public health emergency,” adding that “every tool must be brought to bear as we continue to confront the Delta-driven fourth wave. We must and will remain vigilant.”
The government pledged to spend $2.68 billion on 30,000 new and modern long-term care home beds in a decade and for thousands more to be upgraded. An additional $5 billion would be spent over four years to hire more than 27,000 long-term care staff, including nurses and personal support workers.
“Every government does this,” West said, adding that these pledges mean very little considering they come on the eve of the next provincial election and would stretch into future mandates.
Fresh from attending an Ontario Health Coalition protest in Sudbury earlier in the day held in conjunction with the start of a new legislative session, West said he has heard from a number of personal support workers who are “qualified and love their jobs who have exited that field because they can’t make ends meet.”
“The jobs that they had were, in many cases, several part-time jobs at different facilities, they don’t have full-time hours, they don’t have benefits and decent compensation and the workload is a workload they can’t handle,” he said.
“They need a livable wage where they can afford to stay in that career, a workload they can handle and enough PSWs working in the workplace to care for the clients they have.”
Although West supports the government’s pledge to go after stronger Canada Health Transfer support, he also said it’s rich to hear the province complain about federal funding when they decline to spend the money they receive, such as $5.6 billion in pandemic recovery funds.
“I think it’s important to get the proper amount of funding, but you can’t say you wish the federal government paid their fair share and sit on $5.6 billion and refuse to spend it.”
Nickel Belt NDP MPP France Gélinas was not available for comment due to personal commitments on Monday.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
