By CAROL MULLIGAN, THE SUDBURY STAR

Posted 3 hours ago

The Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce is asking candidates in the Oct. 6 provincial election to outline their positions on six key issues the chamber has identified as important to members: Energy, infrastructure, skilled labour, the Growth Plan for Northern Ontario, the Far North Act and the Workplace Safety Insurance Board.

Chamber chair Mark Weiman unveiled his organization's platform at a news conference Monday, one day before the writ is officially issued for next month's election.

All six issues have been consistently raised by the chamber's more than 1,000 members, said Weiman and Debbi Nicholson, chamber president and chief executive officer.

The organization is looking for "specific answers for them on where they stand on each issue, and what solutions they can offer for our community," said Weiman.

Candidates will have until Sept. 23 to return their responses.

The results will be shared online with members who will then use the information before voting.

In the past, the chamber sent candidates a list of specific questions. This time, the chamber is stating its key priorities and looking to see where candidates stand on the issues.

"We want to see how the candidates line up with what the chamber feels is important to our members," said Weiman.

The chamber won't be endorsing candidates.

The issues may seem broad-based, but they all have an impact on the success of businesses in Sudbury, Weiman and Nicholson said.

For instance, the chamber is asking the province to "expedite" the construction of nuclear capacity and expand the Ontario Clean Energy Benefit to small businesses by 10% on their electricity bills.

John Querney, president of Querney's Office Plus on Elm Street, said high taxation and high energy costs are hurting small businesses such as his.

While issues such as infrastructure are also important to small business, "from my point of view, it's the taxation, the hydro rates."

Querney added two new employees to his staff of 17 on Tuesday. But if he's going to be able to continue hiring, he needs tax relief.

"We're just getting past the thresh-o ld now where we're paying the employee health tax," a tax that didn't exist 10 years ago, said Querney.

When you add to that rising hydro rates, made even higher by having to retire a debt run up by Ontario Hydro, it can really hurt.

Querney called retiring the debt "a necessary evil," but said it shouldn't be done on the backs of small business. Weiman said developing sources of nuclear energy would reduce energy bills for all Ontarians, including businesses.

All six issues the chamber has identified will have a direct impact on the business community here, he said. The chamber is particularly interested in energy prices, because that's a major issue to Cliffs Natural Resources, the company looking at Sudbury to process chromite from the Ring of Fire.

While the Ring of Fire isn't specifically mentioned in the chamber's platform, the organization is pushing the province to make sure it stays in Ontario.

Nicholson said the high cost of "energy is the issue for (Cliffs) right now, so they may be going to Manitoba or Quebec."

Said Weiman: "Right now, what the chamber is concerned about is just keeping it in Ontario."

Weiman said there are no right or wrong answers to the six issues.

Another important issue for members is WSIB premiums.

"They want to see more accountability, they want to see what can be done to control the cost of WSIB and basically see what their solutions on that (are)," said Weiman.

Here are some of the points raised by the chamber in its platform.

It wants the province to continue supporting infrastructure to address gaps and meet demands.

The chamber said it is crucial the government continue to improve and update northern highways, such as Highway 17 between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie, Highway 144 between Sudbury and Timmins, and other highways.

It wants the gas tax refund for municipal transit systems increased from two cents per litre to four cents.

Members say the Northern Growth Plan should be a living document that is reviewed, assessed and updated periodically. They also say the plan should be more specific.

For more about the chamber's provincial election platform, visit www.sudburychamber.ca.

Candidate responses will be printed on the chamber's website later this month.

cmulligan@thesudburystar.com On Twitter: @Carol_Mulligan

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Ready, set, go!

The Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce will hold two

candidates' meetings during the campaign for the Oct. 6 provincial election.

* The Nickel Belt meeting will be held Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. at Centennial Arena in Hanmer.

* The Sudbury meeting will be held Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. at Tom Davies Square in downtown Sudbury.