the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission. He also called for the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund to re-focus its attention on job creation, with support from the private sector. The North Bay Chamber of Commerce and the union representing Ontario Northland Transportation Commission workers demanded the resignation or retirement of Bartolucci, claiming a negative impact on the economy of northern Ontario. In June 2005, Bartolucci announced a twelve-year project for the expansion of Highway 69. In March 2006 he brought forward a new provincial mining strategy. The journal Mineweb called the plan a way to promote long-term sustainability and global competitiveness. Bartolucci presided over the opening of Ontario's first diamond mine in June 2006, and spoke of "limitless" potential for growth in the field. The McGuinty government later proposed a new tax on diamond mining. After criticism by groups such as DeBeers Canada, Bartolucci modified the tax to include deductions for new mining construction, and for expenditures made through agreements with aboriginal communities. Bartolucci criticized the federal government of Stephen Harper in April 2006, arguing that its proposed settlement of a softwood lumber dispute with the United States would amount to "selling out Ontario". In August 2006, Justice Patrick Smith of the Ontario Superior Court issued a ruling against the mining exploration company Platinex Inc. in its ongoing battle with the remote Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug aboriginal community. Platinex was ordered not to work at the site for five months, and was ordered to participate in a consultation process involving the province. Bartolucci argued that this decision would not "impact the legitimacy of other mining claims in Ontario". Others disputed his interpretation. In mid-2007, the Ardoch Algonquin and Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nations began a protest against proposed uranium mining in the Sharbot Lake area. The protesters, who were supported by several members of the local non-aboriginal community, noted that they had not been consulted by the province before the company Frontenac Ventures began prospecting in the area. A spokesperson for Bartolucci's office confirmed that the province had a legal obligation to consult with First Nations communities before allowing exploration, and said that the province was attempting to "establish better processes" in dealing with such matters. Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services Bartolucci was re-elected in the 2007 provincial election, in which the McGuinty government was re-elected with a second majority. On October 30, 2007, he was appointed as Minister of Community Safety and