Industry minister dishes on Tony's FedNor bill. Publicity stunt?

NEWS RELEASE

INDUSTRY CANADA

************************* The facts about Bill C-309

In the interest of all Northern Ontarians I want to point out the facts about Bill C-309 which proposes to create a new development agency in Northern Ontario.

First and foremost, this bill implies that FedNor is not supporting Northern Ontario.

This could not be further from the truth.

FedNor has been, and will continue to be a vital economic delivery program for the North.

Creating even more bureaucracy to would not be beneficial to Northern Ontarians, would cost more money and would increase red tape.

One of the main flaws of the bill was expressed by the Speaker of the House.

Creating an agency would cost taxpayers a lot of money.

Any bill that costs money needs royal recommendation and this bill didn’t have it.

That means this bill will no longer be voted on and it can never become law.

Anthony Rota knew this would be the case, which begs the question: was this a publicity stunt or just inept legislation?

Rather than participate in these political games, our government is focusing on programs that actually help Northern Ontarian communities and businesses.

We are working to enhance business competitiveness, job creation, and to help communities through economic diversification strategies.

Never have these types of strategies been more important than they are now, during these difficult economic times.

In fact, now is the worst time for Anthony Rota to try and dismantle FedNor and to create an agency with expensive bureaucracy that would take time to create.

Anthony Rota, Tony Martin and others know that FedNor is working for Ontarians and that instead of wasting taxpayer dollars on creating a whole new agency, we should use the network of programs that already exist.

The previous Liberal government had 13 had years to change FedNor and they didn’t.

Now, in opposition, they are hoping to score cheap political points on an expensive and unproductive idea.

That’s just not right; that’s not responsible government.

The fact is FedNor works well and has helped thousands of Northern Ontarians for many years.

Thanks to this Conservative government, for the first time in FedNor’s history, it has five-year guaranteed, stable and predictable funding so that projects can be funded over a longer term and FedNor can plan for Northern Ontario’s future.

This is something the NDP would never think of, and the Liberals never did.

Tony Clement P.C., M.P. Member of Parliament for Parry Sound- Muskoka Minister of Industry

************************* Earlier SooToday.com coverage of this story

Tony's stand-alone FedNor bill survives Tory opposition Conservative MP from Kenora rips Tony's homies Industry minister dishes on Tony's FedNor bill. Publicity stunt?