BUSINESS OF SUPPLY  Mr. Chair, it is good to be here. The Ring of Fire is a strategically important mineral resource region in Northern Ontario. It is interesting that the opposition seems to be ambivalent about its relationship to it. The member opposite is fairly supportive of it.

BUSINESS OF SUPPLY  Clement, the President of the Treasury Board and the Minister for the Federal Development Initiative for Northern Ontario, has been appointed to lead federal efforts and ensure that Canada takes advantage of the resource development opportunities in the Ring of Fire. I hope that the member opposite will be willing to work with us on that, because this is a tremendous opportunity for that part of the world. He may have to work against his own party, but we certainly look forward to working with him.

BUSINESS OF SUPPLY  Could the minister list the companies that he or his senior officials have met with in conjunction with the Ring of Fire development?

BUSINESS OF SUPPLY  What does mining mean, and not just to areas in the remote north, not just to places like Baffin Island, where we are looking at a brand new iron ore deposit, or places like northern Ontario? I see my hon. friend, who is a big fan of the Ring of Fire and the potential development there. What else does it mean to places like Toronto or Vancouver, places that we do not always automatically connect with the mining sector? Let me throw out a few facts from the TSX Venture Exchange mining stocks.

Economic Action Plan 2013 Act, No. 1  The tax credit will help initialize investors to explore and of course subsequently develop new or existing mining sites. With the Ring of Fire so close to Nipissing—Timiskaming, I am confident in the results this measure will help produce for my constituency and for development across Canada. Concerning the families and individuals in my constituency, I am pleased with the introduction of yet additional tax relief for Canadians in this budget.

Business of Supply  The Fort Chipewyan First Nations in Alberta are very concerned about the environmental impact on their communities. On the west coast, we have forestry. In Ontario, there is the Ring of Fire. I wonder if the member could comment specifically on why it is important to move forward on negotiating these comprehensive land claims and treaty and self-government agreements so that the people who live in those territories have a say about the kind of development that is happening.

Regional Development  Speaker, as the hon. member should know, if he had read the budget, the budget specifically announced $4.4 million to help capacity building in and around the Ring of Fire mining project that will help first nations, that will help communities prepare for this bonanza of economic opportunity in northern Ontario. What does the member's leader do? He goes to Washington and talks down the Canadian economy.

Northern Jobs and Growth Act  Speaker, as everyone knows in this place, and certainly in northern Ontario, the government has put the member for Parry Sound—Muskoka forward to try to move the Ring of Fire along. He will know, as will people in northern Ontario, that perhaps the main reason it is not moving along is there has not been the consultation that first nations people expect and deserve, and I know that the member for Parry Sound—Muskoka will do his best to ensure that happens.

Northern Jobs and Growth Act  When dealing with first nations, a big question is around certainty, whether it is the Ring of Fire, in northern B.C. or here in the western Arctic that we are talking about. Having good agreements based on consultation and accommodation is what allows industry and those communities the certainty they need to build that progressive and brighter future.

Northern Jobs and Growth Act  Education and skills development are critical in all of these large projects. I refer to northern Ontario and some of the issues that we have had in the Ring of Fire and some of the other mining developments that are struggling to go forward. Chiefs have been very clear to me that they do not want one-year or year-and-a-half construction jobs for people from their first nations, and then nothing and they are out in the cold.

Employment  Why has the government changed the rules so that companies can kill jobs for Canadians? How will the Conservatives guarantee that jobs in the Ring of Fire will go to northern Ontarians instead of to temporary foreign workers?

Fair Rail Freight Service Act  One of the things that is really important to recognize, which I think the member does have an interest in, is that when we are looking at new development and how we are going to encourage investment in, for example, plan nord in Quebec or the Ring of Fire in Ontario or all of the natural resource wealth that extends into the territory the member represents, how are we going to ensure that these companies are prepared to make the investments, and the service requirements are met by these companies in those areas so that we can in fact explore these resources for the benefit of all Canadians?

Business of Supply  Yet the President of the Treasury Board alienated first nations by dismissing their calls for a joint review panel on the Ring of Fire resource development, arguing it would only bring up “irrelevant issues”. Even the Prime Minister's own former senior cabinet minister, Jim Prentice, has chastised the government, saying, “The Crown obligation to engage first nations in a meaningful way has yet to be taken up”.

Business of Supply  To this day the initiative has supported more than 60 aboriginal communities and some of the largest resource development opportunities across Canada, including the Ring of Fire in northern Ontario and the Lower Churchill energy project in Atlantic Canada. However, we are not only focused on resource projects south of 60. We also know that Canada's north is home to world-class natural resources, representing tremendous economic potential.

Business of Supply  However, Chief Elijah Moonias—and we have another version of Chief Elijah Moonias alive today in Marten Falls dealing with the Ring of Fire—stood up and said to the people: “Wait a minute. What's going on here? The white guys have come up and offered us eight bucks and they're telling us that we don't have to give anything in return”.