Ignatieff promises stronger rules surrounding foreign takeovers
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Federal Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff answers students' questions at an event at Collège Boréal April 15. Photo by Heidi Ulrichsen.
When asked by Northern Life what he would do to help ensure the development of the Ring of Fire and keep the processing of the resource in northern Ontario, Ignatieff said a Liberal government would “be a partner” in terms of developing “some of the infrastructure necessary to get the chromite out and get it refined.”
“We think (the Ring of Fire) has a possible transformative impact on northern Ontario, and we want to be part of it,” he said. “Crucially, we want to make sure that the refining and processing jobs stay in northern Ontario.”
Ignatieff also said the Liberals would strengthen FedNor and make it an independent agency. He said his party committed to this policy “long before” the NDP.
The Liberal leader was joined at the event by local federal Liberal candidates Carol Hartman and Joe Cormier.
He said the Liberals have a “great tradition of representation in the north,” although both the Sudbury and Nickel Belt ridings were taken by the NDP in the last election.
“People remember the kind of service provided by the Liberals,” Ignatieff said. “I've got two fantastic candidates. That's important.”
The Collège Boréal event was attended by about 200 students. Ignatieff answered the students' questions in both French and English.
One student asked what the Liberals would do to help students who are already in the midst of completing post-secondary education.
Ignatieff said students who give 150 hours of volunteer time will have $1,500 knocked off of their student debt.
The Liberals also plan to set up what they're calling a Learning Passport, he said, which will provide $1,000 a year over four years for every high school student in Canada to use for college, university or CÉGEP.
For students in low income families, the amount will be $1,500 a year, or an extra $6,000 in total.
