Energy affordability and infrastructure upgrades are prime concerns of this area's two Progressive Conservative MPPs.
Sarnia-Lambton's member Bob Bailey and Monte McNaughton of Lambton-Kent-Middlesex are already planning for the next Ontario election in June 2018.
Speaking at a chamber of commerce "Lunch with your MPP" event Tuesday, Bob Bailey warned high power costs could impact further investment by BioAmber and possible construction of a NOVA Chemicals polyethylene plant.
"For that NOVA plant to go ahead, there's a lot of things that they need," says Bailey. "But one of the things is sustainable, affordable and long term energy rates. They need to know what the other regulations in the province are going to be, as far as taxation, environmental rules... We're going to look at all of those things, but we need to have a policy in place that we're going to run on in 18 months."
MPP Monte McNaughton spoke briefly about the four pillars of economic development the party is focusing on.
"We know where Ontario is today," says McNaughton. "We have a $308-billion debt and we've lost 350,000 well paying manufacturing jobs. So we're focusing as a party on building infrastructure, cutting red tape, getting energy costs under control and fixing the skills mismatch in our education system."
McNaughton says they're focused on infrastructure improvements including the long planned twinning of Hwy. 40 in Sarnia and getting snow fencing built along Hwy. 402.
"Winter is around the corner," he says. "We first met with the Minister of Transportation and wrote the letter back in August, hoping that the snow fencing would be constructed before winter. Time is running out and I'm urging the Liberal government to get that snow fencing built as quickly as possible."
McNaughton hopes a decision is made soon.
"There are many areas along [Hwy.] 402 between London and Sarnia where it's just wide open farm land," he says. "I think it's a common sense initiative that wouldn't cost a lot of money and anything we can do to prevent fatalities, prevent accidents is worthwhile in my mind."
Local residents and business leaders are encouraged to participate in the PC's policy consultation at www.forontario.ca
