Article From the Parry Sound North Star, Feb. 13 th Edition

Subject: Standing up for Parry Sound - Muskoka

Clement stands guard
North Star, Our Opinion, Wednesday, February 13, 2008

While it might appear to be making a mountain out of a mole hill, Parry Sound-Muskoka Conservative MP Tony Clement's efforts to raise the alarm over the riding's potential exclusion from FedNor funding shows he will stand up for his constituents.

The federal program has contributed millions of dollars for local infrastructure and economic development initiatives. Any effort to remove Parry Sound and Muskoka from "the north" when it comes to this funding would have a devastating impact.

When Sault Ste. Marie NDP MP Tony Martin presented legislation that would cut the area out of a new FedNor agency, Mr. Clement was quick to voice his discontent.

Then, when Nipissing-Timiskaming Liberal MP Anthony Rota supported the bill in first reading, Mr. Clement rightly pointed out the slight.

True, Mr. Rota's intentions may not have been to exclude the riding from FedNor, but to allow first reading in order to debate the bill. And certainly, we understand the Liberal MP's disgust with Mr. Clement's badgering over the issue if that was his intent. But what would Mr.Clement's constituents have said if he didn't speak up, the bill quietly passed first reading, and then moved on to second reading, third reading and became law?

Mr. Clement also accused Kenora-area Liberal MP Roger Valley of supporting a plan to cut Parry Sound-Muskoka out of FedNor. Mr. Valley deniesaccusations that he admitted as much during northern radio interviews, but online transcripts of those interviews have him saying just that.

As an MP watching out for his riding, Mr. Clement had to object.

Now Mr. Rota has presented his own legislation, an identical act to the NDP bill, with the exception that it includes Parry Sound and Muskoka. Both Mr. Rota and his counterpart, Roger Valley, have said they want Parry Sound and Muskoka to be included as part of the north.

With the new bill and the pledged backing of Conservative and Liberal members of parliament, the debate appears to have come to an end, leaving our riding safely within FedNor boundaries.

Sure, there is some political posturing involved as all parties prepare for the potential of another federal election in the not-too-distant future, but in this case Mr. Clement did his job. He stood up for his constituents and, just maybe, prevented this area from losing millions of dollars we
deserve.

Originally published at http://www.parrysound.com/press/1202918793/

With permission of the Parry Sound North Star