There is no risk, what so ever. The Ring will be developed sooner or later. Only difference is time and how.
As I said many times before:
All Rickford needs to say is that the federal government (Gees, Not the Conservatives unless they are just doing so for votes ) is commiting up to 1 billion dollars to the infrastructure needs of the Ring of Fire, Period.

IF he is concerned about the disbursement of the cash then he can, and probably should, say that the funding will be disbursed to the Dev Co. as plans are provided and as each segment of construction is satisfactory completed before next disbursement is handed over. He could do it in as little as 10s of millions per disbursment. In other words put all responsibility onto the shoulders of the Dev. Co. and thus his hands would remain clean.

As for the education of the communities of the area, funding now for jobs that do not yet exist means throwing money out to buy votes and not much else.
Education Yes, BUT do so as the needs arise for specific jobs so that a student is not educated for a function that does not exist or may never be. Education money should not be welfare.

First start building the infrastrucure, and as the mines start building jobs follow, then train for the known and Assured Jobs.

Horse before the cart instead of reverse.