Nickel Belt MP and New Democrat FedNor Critic Claude Gravelle has tabled a bill seeking to make FedNor independent from Industry Canada.
“It is no accident that my first act in this parliament is to table legislation that gives Northern Ontario its own independent economic development agency,” Gravelle said in a news release. “FedNor is now couched in Industry Canada and has less accountability than any other economic development agencies.”
Citing a need to remove political interference in FedNor, Gravelle charged Industry Minister Tony Clement with “a history of delaying announcements and redirecting funding as it suited his political purposes.
“Clement had no problem handing out $3.9 million to his riding on the eve of the federal election call,” Gravelle said in the release. “This was in addition to another $10 million in FedNor funds handed out, just before the election, to six ridings in Northern Ontario, including $1.9 million to Georgian Bay, a community in the minister's riding.”
The cost to make FedNor independent would be minimal, since the infrastructure is already in place, he added.
.jpeg;w=120;h=80;mode=crop)
