Northern rail is too important to risk Doug Ford: McCleave-Kennedy

NEWS RELEASE
MICHELE MCCLEAVE-KENNEDY, NDP CANDIDATE
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Doug Ford came to Sault Ste. Marie, made some campaign promises without a plan or platform, and left as quickly as he came, leaving us scratching our heads - again.

The Sault is our home and it deserves to be taken seriously. Huron Central Rail is a vital lifeline for our industries to get products to market. Jobs depend on keeping this train rolling and families depend on these jobs. Sault families deserve a plan for Huron Central Rail, not more Doug Ford bumper sticker slogans without a platform to back them up.

New Democrats announced in May 2017 that we would fund Huron Central Rail to keep it rolling. We included our commitment to Huron Central Rail in our Northern Platform for this campaign as part of our plan for $25 million each year to support northern rail lines.

In May 2018, when Huron Central Rail announced it was shutting down because Kathleen Wynne refused to support it, New Democrats stepped up again with our commitment of $4 million each year for five years to keep the railway open.

New Democrats know what’s at stake: protecting our steel jobs here in the Sault and the more than 7,000 jobs that depend on northern industries that our rail lines serve.

Andrea Horwath is from Steeltown Hamilton, she gets it. She’s committed, she has a plan for steel, Huron Central Rail, and our northern rail lines.

Unfortunately, Doug Ford still doesn’t understand Northern Ontario or the significance of northern rail enough to have a dedicated plan for it. That’s not leadership. Sault families deserve much better.

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