NDP MPP Gilles Bisson heaped scorn today on Thunder Bay-Atikokan Liberal MPP Bill Mauro and the McGuinty’s government quiet decision to walk away from Mauro’s “Buy Ontario” Private Member’s Bill.

“For weeks, McGuinty and Mauro have had the House waiting with great anticipation for this bill that was supposed to have been debated today – but it quietly disappeared with nary a whimper. Workers in Thunder Bay who have watched their jobs disappear have a simple question: Why?” asked Bisson.

Last month in the legislature, NDP Leader Howard Hampton and Bisson both hammered away at the McGuinty Liberals refusal to pass the NDP’s “Buy Ontario” bill that would help sustain good manufacturing jobs in communities like Thunder Bay.

At the time, McGuinty responded: “I appreciate the leader of the NDP's impatience on this issue, but I want to welcome him to Mr. Mauro's club. Mr. Mauro has been working on this issue for a long, long time now…” (Hansard, March 18, 2008).

Mauro’s long-awaited bill was supposed to have been debated at Queen’s Park today, however, earlier this week the government quietly pulled it from the order papers, which effectively means the bill is dead.

“Quite clearly, Bill Mauro has no clout in this government. He just rolled over and allowed his government to sell out workers in his own community. Thunder Bay workers deserve better,” said Bisson.