Glenn Thibeault M.P. for Sudbury

Ottawa, ON – The Northern Ontario NDP Caucus today slammed Industry Minister Tony Clement for pork-barrel spending in his riding of Parry Sound-Muskoka.

The Minister has been under a cloud of controversy over supposed G-8 and G-20 related spending on projects such as gazebos, sidewalks and lighthouses carved out of tree trunks.

“It is outrageous that this Industry Minister and his Prime Minister would waste so much tax-payer money on purely ego-driven projects,” said Charlie Angus, MP for Timmins-James Bay and Chair of the Northern Ontario NDP Caucus.

“Over the past three years, this government has reduced total spending and the number of projects funded by FedNor,” said Claude Gravelle, MP for Nickel Belt and NDP FedNor Critic. “To then waste almost $400,000 of the FedNor budget on a boat that doesn’t float, and won’t touch water until weeks after the G-8 and G-20 Summits are concluded, is completely unacceptable.”

“Canada has more lakes than just about any other country in the world. Sudbury, known as the City of Lakes has 330 of them alone,” said Glenn Thibeault, MP for Sudbury. “How can this government defend its policy of fiscal restraint at these summits when it spends $2 million recreating a fake lake and a fake Northern Ontario?”

In 2007-2008, FedNor funded 248 projects worth $44.4 million. In 2009-2010 FedNor funded 169 projects worth $34.4 million, a loss of $10 million over three years.

“So much for this government’s promise to Canadians to improve accountability and trust,” said Angus. “Since 2007, this Minister has doubled FedNor spending in his own riding. It’s clear Tony Clement has no capacity to discharge his duties fairly.”

“This boondoggle with boats and fake lakes is further proof why we need a fully independent economic development agency for Northern Ontario akin to other independent regional agencies across Canada,” said Gravelle. “In addition to independence, FedNor needs increased and stable long-term funding from the federal government.”

NORTHERN ONTARIO NEW DEMOCRATS SLAM CLEMENT ON PORK-BARREL SPENDING

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