For Immediate Release March 6, 2014 Walker Requests Infrastructure Funding For Key Riding Projects QUEEN’S PARK – MPP Bill Walker has taken one more step in calling on the governing Liberals to deliver money for key infrastructure projects in his riding of Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound. During yesterday’s debate on a government infrastructure bill, known as Bill 141, Walker spelled out key items from his riding’s infrastructure agenda, namely the Markdale Hospital, Marine Emergency Duties training program at Georgian College in Owen Sound, Wiarton-Keppel International Airport, Broadband Internet services, dredging of Owen Sound harbor and public transportation. “The backlog of rural infrastructure, hospitals, airports, education institutions, internet infrastructure and public transportation is sizeable,” Walker said. “The question of whether or not Bill 141 can ensure that rural Ontario gets its fair share of infrastructure investments remains an enigma under this Liberal government that has squandered billions of dollars on scandals and boondoggles like the gas plant cancellations.” Bill 141 would require the province to regularly table a long-term infrastructure plan in the legislature covering a period of at least 10 years. Walker said he supports the principles in Bill 141 but remains troubled by the government’s failure to officially recognize rural Ontario as an equal partner in infrastructure funds. “Every time I rise to speak about infrastructure inequalities in Ontario, I feel compelled to remind the Liberal government of that controversial policy paper they quietly adopted back in 2004. The report, Investing in People, contains a troubling section, entitled Small, Rural, and Remote Communities: The Anatomy of Risk,” he told the legislature. “This section reads like rural Ontario’s obituary. It directs the government to pull the plug on rural industries, businesses and infrastructure, leaving its residents, many of whom are rapidly aging, to fend for themselves.” Walker said he wants the government to officially and publicly denounce that report, something it has not done yet, despite his repeated calls. “The reality is that this government has to learn to work with us, not against us,” Walker said, following the debate in the legislature. “Rural Ontario’s growth and prosperity are significantly influenced by the government’s capacity to deliver more efficient and effective infrastructure. Moving forward, we need to be sure that they will treat us as equal partners.” Walker also used the debate on Bill 141 to repeat his call to the Liberal government to pass his caucus colleague John Yakabuski’s bill that would deliver a fair share of the gas tax to rural municipalities. What Walker said: Markdale Hospital: “There’s never been a better time than now to build this hospital…The jobs that it would create, the sustainability for a whole region—it’s paramount. We really, really hope that the government will stand behind their word on this occasion and step up to the plate for those people who have been standing, waiting idly by, and losing out on great services.” Marine Emergency Duties (MED) training program: “We are a marine centre of excellence. We’re the only one in the province; we’re the only one in mid-Canada... But it’s absolutely critical—the clock is ticking and we need to ensure that this remains here. The minister again knows what I’m talking about in this. I’ve written him a handful of times, asking for his government’s support in ensuring that central Canada’s only marine firefighter program is continued in Owen Sound.” Wiarton-Keppel International Airport: “The people on the Bruce Peninsula depend on the Wiarton airport... if the work isn’t done, the airport certification will be pulled...I’m told that if you lose that certification, it’s virtually impossible to get it back…The airport, again, is a valuable commodity to the regional economy and the tourism industry, as it helps attract investment and jobs and it can accommodate service to and from the United States and has four times as much direct employment as other airports.” Broadband Internet services: “There are limitations here… we do not have the equal broadband service that most people in the urban areas take for granted… We need to be able to create a level playing field in rural Ontario. Contrary to the report The Anatomy of Risk that I shared with you just a few minutes ago, we’re not prepared in rural Ontario—certainly not in Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound—to give up…We need to be able to bring in fibre optic and ensure that we can compete in any industry, in any area of interest… to ensure that we have the same equal and fair access.” Access to public transportation: “There are a lot of old, outdated regulations and legislation in place that would allow private companies to come in and do a lot more, a lot more flexibility and actually make viable, sustainable runs to allow, again, something that should be fair and equitable for all residents of Ontario: a good transportation program. I hope the government will take that into consideration and know there aren’t just GTA transportation needs; there are huge needs in rural and northern Ontario.” youtu.be/lsnhEhEvQm0
Posted on: Fri, 07 Mar 2014 00:25:37 +0000
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