An invitation has been extended to Premier Kathleen Wynne and Northumberland-Quinte West MPP Lou Rinaldi to visit the north.

This after a “No Man’s Land” heckle made last week at Queen’s Park.

PC Leader Patrick Brown says while he’s disappointed there hasn’t been an apology, it’s time to move on.

“That’s why on behalf of the northern Ontario Progressive Conservative MPPs, I sent a letter to Premier Kathleen Wynne and MPP Lou Rinaldi to personally invite them to visit northern Ontario and see everything it has to offer,” he says.

Brown also extended the invitation in the Legislature today (Tuesday).

Premier Wynne responded that the member for Northumberland-Quinte West has traveled around the province, including rural and northern Ontario, but also says he’s done more than that.

“Unlike the members opposite, he actually voted to increase the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund to an unprecedented $100-million a year, he voted to invest a billion dollars into the Ring of Fire, he voted to increase the Northern Highways Program by $90-million,” she told the Legislature.

MPP Vic Fedeli, who also extended his invitation during Question Period, earlier told reporters his letter invites Wynne and Rinaldi to Nipissing.

“see our vibrant aerospace/tech industry, the health and education sector, our tourism and resource sector, all the good things we have at home. I specifically asked him to come and paddle the La Vase River with me,” he says.

Sault Ste Marie MPP Ross Romano also sent invitations and verbally, during Question Period, asked them to visit the north.

In a statement to our newsroom, Northumberland-Quinte West MPP Lou Rinaldi says, “This invitation is just a further attempt by the PC party to play politics. The PCs have made incorrect and unfair assertions about the meaning of my comments, taking my words entirely out of context.”

Rinaldi is referring to a “No Man’s Land” heckle last week that he says was directed at Nipissing’s MPP when speaking about the Election Finances Act, and was not a comment about the north.

He goes on to say, “As a Government, our commitment to Northern Ontario is unequivocal. And as the member for Northumberland-Quinte West, my commitment to my constituents is equally unequivocal. I intend to continue to serve my community and Province, as the PCs continue to throw mud to distract from their lack of a plan for all parts of Ontario.”

The following is Rinaldi’s statement regarding the “No Man’s Land” accusations:

“I want to clarify the words I spoke in the Legislature on Thursday, September 21st. I was addressing my remarks to MPP Vic Fedeli and made the comment that he was in “No Man’s Land,” referring specifically to him being completely alone in his opinion about legislative changes to the Election Finances Act.

This then led to MPP Sam Oosterhoff misconstruing my words, and certainly their intent. I was in no way making a geographic reference to any area, and I believe any thinking person would agree. The opposition then put out a press release, repeating Sam’s attempt to frame my words in a manner that had nothing to do with their actual contextual reference.

I’m hoping that Sam was merely participating in youthful exuberance in a misguided attempt to protect his caucus colleague. I certainly would not like to think this was a malicious and purposeful partisan attempt to score cheap political points.

As a long-time rural MPP we share many of the same challenges as our friends in Northern Ontario. I am more than aware and sensitive of how important our voice needs to be when we are not part of large urban centres. The citizens of Ontario are tired of game-playing and petty politics.”