Wynne Liberals refuse to condemn Liberal MPP’s “Northern Slur”

Rinaldi called to order by the Speaker after asking PC MPP to “take it outside”

The backlash over Liberal MPP Lou Rinaldi referring to Northern Ontario as “No Man’s Land” grew on Monday, with the Wynne Liberals flat-out refusing to heed calls by the PCs to apologize on his behalf. During the fiery exchange in Question Period, Rinaldi was called to order by Speaker Dave Levac, after he asked the PCs to “take it outside.”

“These views confirm what the Liberal Government thinks of us in the North. They took away our only passenger train, the North is hit harder with skyrocketing hydro rates, 80 per cent of our lumber mills shut down on your watch, we fell from the number one mining jurisdiction to 16th, and the Ring of Fire remains untouched for 10 years,” said MPP Vic Fedeli in Question Period today. 

The questions come after North Bay Mayor Al McDonald took Rinaldi to task and called the comments a “kick in the teeth” for the region. The Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association also weighed in, expressing disappointment. 

“I do not represent ‘no man’s land’ – I represent the people of Sault Ste. Marie and as a proud Northerner I find these comments highly offensive and I know that the people of Northern Ontario share my outrage,” added Sault Ste. Marie MPP Ross Romano.  

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