TORONTO — Count Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa among those who was looking for more from last week's provincial budget.
The NDP deputy leader called the spending plan tabled by the Progressive Conservatives "kind of boring."
“When I was sitting there it was kind of interesting and kind of boring when you hear what these kinds of things they keep talking about. Ford Conservatives want Ontarians to think this is the new normal,” Mamakwa said during a Monday interview.
The Northern Ontario MPP described that "new normal" as a plan that favours southern Ontario during recovery from the pandemic.
“We know things are not normal in Ontario, especially in the north. Sometimes in the north, we are forgotten. Sometimes it can be as much as a different Ontario. I think it was a budget that failed to meet the needs of the moment,” said Mamakwa.
A large portion of the budget address the Ford government’s critical mineral strategy, particularly opening up the road to Ring of Fire.
“They are focusing on that without talking to our First Nations. That’s a very colonial approach when you try and divide and conquer First Nations,” said Mamakwa.
Once these mines are in place, the critical minerals that will be extracted from Northern Ontario will be manufactured in the south.
“In the north, we are so rich in the resources that we have, but still they are not provided the same resources for servicing the north,” said Mamakwa.
The provincial budget highlights that the Ford government will allocate “$45 million to help Ontario’s 39 largest municipalities modernize local approval processes for residential developments.”
Specifically, the budget states that 29 Southern Ontarian municipalities “have been assigned housing targets to incentivize more housing where it is needed the most.” There is no mention of housing targets for the North.
“We have to understand people are struggling to find places to live,” said Mamakwa. “They are being forced to go to work sick just to put food on the table.”
Mamakwa also accused the Ford government of shortchanging municipalities, saying any cuts in funding will force cities and towns to raise property taxes.
The budget was lacking when it comes to climate change, Mamakwa said, adding that remote communities are particularly affected by shortening periods for ice roads.
“We are trying to bring in supplies and fuel into the northern fly-in First Nations and the seasons get shorter and shorter,” said Mamakwa. “I think they could have done more in the budget to help the people of Kiiwetingoong and it’s not there.”
When it comes to health care, Mamakwa said the $200 million that was announced isn’t going to be enough to fix a challenged system that is facing significant pressure.
“There is a lot of mental health and addictions in the North right now. There is a lot of unnecessary suffering and needless deaths that are happening because of these issues,” said Mamakwa.
Mamakwa acknowledged the government has dedicated some funding to mental health and addiction, but he feels that it is not enough to support the needs of the north.
