Provenzano: Investing in rural areas is a priority

NEWS RELEASE

CHRISTIAN PROVENZANO LIBERAL CANDIDATE SAULT STE. MARIE & AREA

***************************** Harper failing rural Canada: Provenzano

SAULT STE. MARIE - Investing in rural areas is a priority for Sault Ste. Marie and area Liberal candidate Christian Provenzano.

The Liberal Party of Canada will implement a Rural Canada Matters strategy aimed at investing in small town and rural areas.

“Sault Ste. Marie and Area residents should have access to the same services, no matter where they live,” Provezano said.

“Parts of our community do not have broad band access or are worried about maintaining basic services like Canada Post. This simply isn’t acceptable.” Provenzano concluded.

Since 2006, the Conservative government has presided over the closure of 42 rural post offices, and the cancellation of 55,000 rural roadside mailboxes from service.

Some rural residents now must travel several kilometres to get their mail - something that is difficult for seniors and those with disabilities.

In 2006, Canada’s Telecommunications Review Panel (CRTC) recommended the federal government achieve 100 percent high-speed Internet connectivity by 2010.

This goal was not achieved under the Conservative government.

According to the CRTC, in 2009, 800,000 Canadian households - or 20 percent of all rural Canadians - could not access high-speed Internet.

The Liberal platform’s “Rural Canada Matters” strategy aims to bridge the gap between rural and urban Canadians:

- National Food Policy: Working with producers to develop new programs to support sustainable farm incomes, research and innovation, environmental stewardship and opening new markets.

- Rural health care: Student loan forgiveness up to $40,000 for doctors and $20,000 for nurses and nurse practitioners who practice in rural communities.

- Volunteer firefighters: A new, $3,000 refundable tax credit to recognize their community service.

- Rural broadband: One hundred percent high-speed Internet connectivity everywhere in rural Canada within three years.

- Postal service: Protecting universal service by freezing further post office closures and putting a priority on resuming discontinued services.

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