According to NDP Northern Development and Mines Critic Michael Mantha, Ontario’s Liberal government is jeopardizing the future of the mining sector by refusing to address shortfalls in the electricity supply and unaffordable commercial power rates.
“30 to 50% of operating costs for the Mining sector is the price of electricity, And the threshold for the Global Adjustment program still stands at 1 megawatt, which penalizes mid-sized producers,” explained Mantha in today’s question period. “The government doesn’t even realize that the electricity supply is not sufficient to support new mining developments.”
Mantha, the MPP for Algoma-Manitoulin, is also worried that thousands of potential new jobs are at risk unless the government takes concrete action to address both the shortfalls of the electricity system, and the lack of training opportunities for potential employees.
“Ontario’s mining sector has created 27,500 direct jobs with tens of thousands of indirect jobs as well. The development of the Ring of Fire and numerous other projects in the Northwest will require a skilled workforce by 2020, yet this government refuses to play a role in training programs,” explained Mantha. “Mining companies can create jobs but they need the right competitive factors including a trained workforce.”
Mantha called on Premier Wynne to take concrete action to address the challenges facing companies interested in mining in Ontario.
“Why is the Liberal government not investing in training programs so that the people of Ontario can benefit from the immense economic opportunities that mining can create?” asked Mantha. “Will the government commit to a real plan for mining development in Ontario by coming up with a plan to increase electricity supply and to deal with the sky high price of electricity so that mining companies can create jobs?”
