Doug Ford says northern Ontario voters are 'fed up,' pledges cut of resource revenue

Doug Ford continued to spread his message of putting northern Ontario first during another visit to Sudbury.

The Ontario Progressive Conservative leader made his second trip to the north in less than a month, with stops in Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay, Kenora and North Bay.

Ford spoke with the CBC's Morning North before a rally at Sudbury's College Boreal on Thursday afternoon, and said he's learned a lot about the region during his tour.

"People need help up here. People need help, they need relief on their hydro bills. That's probably the number one issue," Ford said.

"Right beside that, with health care. They need help in their hospitals. They're facing five, six hour waits."

He added that businesses are struggling due to the carbon tax, hydro rates and a lack of skilled trades workers.

'Let the people in the north decide'

Ford also stood behind a promise he made in Timmins on Tuesday, to share resource revenue with northern Ontario communities.

That commitment came just two days before the province announced it had reached an agreement to share mining and forestry revenue with several First Nations in the region.

Ford told CBC his PC government would make sure there would be no "strings attached" to any revenue given to northern communities.

"My theory...is very simple. Let the people in the north decide. Let the people take their money, if they want to have infrastructure projects, they want to fix roads, they want to build community centres that's up to them."

Ford continued to advocate for the Northlander train service to be restored as well. When asked if he would consider subsidizing the train, he said he is 'willing to work with companies and get this going."

Sudbury Liberals push back against Ford

The re-election campaign for Sudbury Liberal MP Glenn Thibeault released a statement in response to Ford's visit calling his promises "vague."

"In typical Ford fashion, he wasn't able to provide any details on how the [revenue sharing] plan would work, or answer any questions on the policy – because he doesn't have any answers," the statement reads.

The statement also called out Ford's "ignorance" on programs like the Northern Health Travel Grant and the Ontario Northland bus service.

"However he wants to do the math, communities will find themselves with less," Thibeault's campaign said.

But the PC leader argued people in northern Ontario want the current government out.

"They just love spending, love taxing people and people are fed up. They've just absolutely had it with this Liberal government."