With the abrupt prorogation of the provincial legislature, some issues affecting the north are now shelved.

Premier Dalton McGuinty announced Monday night that — not only is he stepping down — but he's shutting off the lights at Queen's Park.

Gilles Bisson, Timmins James Bay MPP (CBC)

That means all the bills that were on the table have died, said Gilles Bisson the NDP MPP for Timmins-James Bay.

“Many issues such as the closure of parks, such as the Ontario Northland, such as what's gonna happen with processing ore in Ontario [and if] … that refinery [is] going to be built in Nickel Belt,” Bisson said.

“All of those issues are essentially not dealt with in the light of day that the legislature brings.”

What won't see the light of day — for now — are hearings into the costly power plant cancellations.

Those hearings have been cancelled, as has the committee probe into what went awry at Ornge air ambulance.

Ontario's opposition leaders have urged McGuinty to recall the legislature now, instead of waiting until the Liberals pick a new leader to replace him — a task that could take up to six months.