Premier's words "wrong" for North Bay

Premier Dalton McGuinty’s comments Tuesday night about the OPSEU jobs which will be leaving North Bay have left Coun. Mike Anthony feeling surprised and saddened, he says.

Anthony said that Following Monday night’s emergency council meeting he had believed the province might end up hearing “just how much we need every possible job,” and how North Bay needed to be treated more fairly & equitably in the distribution of 122 slated to go to Sudbury.

“What I heard from the premier instead was the listing of a handful of good things that have happened, but again I believe that six “rights” don’t erase a wrong,” Anthony said.

“It’s wrong to give Sudbury 122 jobs when I know we have clerical, technical and administrative people here looking for work. It ‘s wrong to send those 122 jobs to a neighbouring city when we could house a portion, say 50 of them, right here in our downtown core.”

During his visit to North Bay Tuesday evening McGuinty listed the things his government has done for North Bay including adding 75 new jobs at the ONTC, 16 new teachers, six to eight nurses for the city’s hospital and money for the new Children’s Treatment Centre.

“What I also heard from the premier is that we are now designated a “centre of excellence” but I have yet to hear that guarantees future jobs here. I have only heard that it could mean jobs, we have the potential for jobs, and that it creates opportunity. North Bay cannot take rely on “should” or “might”…we either need our fair share of the new jobs being created by this latest re-alignment, or we need a guarantee of new jobs as they become available,” Anthony said.

What North Bay council did Monday night “in standing up for our community,” Anthony said, was right.

“What I hear from the premier today is wrong for North Bay.”

Anthony said that, at Monday night’s meeting, Nipissing MPP Monique Smith “committed to me, in front of a packed house,” that she would assist North Bay “ in standing up and fighting” the government’s Management Board.

“She did the right thing,” Anthony said.

“When our council’s motion, put forward by Coun. Chirico & Coun. Mendicino, moves on with requests for meetings on this issue and fair consideration in distribution of new jobs, we all need to remember and stand by Monday night’s commitment to fight together.”

Governments, Anthony said, have overturned their own decisions before, alluding to how the Harris government changed it’s stance on compensation for the Dionne quintuplets.

“The feds changed their tune on big-money hockey subsidies. We need to fight this government decision that is unfair to our city.”