Tony asks: Is this the death of FedNor?

NEWS RELEASE

TONY MARTIN, MP

**************************** Tories killing FedNor?

“Worse possible economic news for northerners” - Tony Martin

OTTAWA - Northern Ontario New Democrat MPs are outraged that the Conservative government has reportedly killed FedNor as a separate regional development agency.

“New Democrats have longed campaigned for FedNor to be a stand-alone agency like the others in the country but the Conservatives have not only refused but now appear to have thrown FedNor under the bus,” Sault MP Tony Martin said. “It is the worst possible economic news for northerners and northern communities.”

FedNor had no mention in Thursday’s budget.

While the Northern Ontario Development Fund will continue within Industry Canada, the government documents indicate FedNor as such no longer exists.

Industry Minister Tony Clement visited Sudbury today to meet with FedNor staff reportedly to tell them the decision.

In Question Period today, New Democrat FedNor critic Claude Gravelle (Nickel Belt) said the Conservative government does not care about Northern Ontario.

“In order to better serve the needs of Northern Ontarians, FedNor needs to become a stand-alone agency,” Gravelle said. “Is the Industry Minister heading to Sudbury today to deliver this good news, or is he going to tell them decisions about the North will now be made in the South?”

Martin noted the apparent demise of FedNor began under the Liberal government as increasingly a third of its funds went to southern and eastern Ontario.

As former FedNor critic, Martin introduced a private member’s bill calling for full independent status for FedNor as a bumped up regional development agency similar to agencies in Atlantic Canada, Quebec and Western Canada.

Martin conducted a major northern community consultation hearing from municipalities, post-secondary education institutions, First Nations, the business and non-profit sector illustrating how FedNor needed to become more community-driven in its funding priorities.

“You can count on more Tory spin on how killing FedNor will be good for Northern Ontario,” Martin said. “Northerners know what it means to them if headquarters move south or to Ottawa.”

As part of his private member’s bill campaign, Martin pointed out the population of Northern Ontario is larger than of each of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island and its land size is larger than every province except British Columbia and Quebec.

It deserves a regional development agency.

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