Liberal Infrastructure Critic Gerard Kennedy revealed in Question Period that new statistics indicate non-Conservative ridings in New Brunswick received 44 per cent less infrastructure stimulus funding than Conservative-held ridings.
“This is precisely the type of pork-barrel politics that Canadians won’t tolerate,” said Mr. Kennedy. “The Harper government refuses to divulge where their infrastructure money is going, so we’re calling anyone who can shed light on the truth to supplement our own research by coming forward.”
Mr. Kennedy found that Prime Minister Harper gave his six members from New Brunswick $18.5 million extra in government money at the expense of unemployed families living in other ridings in that province, and made sure that 4 out of the top 5 fund recipients are his ridings.
Following this latest revelation, Mr. Kennedy put forward a motion inviting Gordon Landon, a Markham regional councilor and former Conservative candidate, and Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page to share their insights with Parliament about the Conservative government’s practice of punishing non-Conservative riding in the delivery of infrastructure stimulus finding.
Last week, Mr. Landon courageously blew the whistle on how the government only directs shovelgate money to Conservative ridings, telling Rogers-TV last week, “One of the things we have been trying to get for a long time is a Medical Testing Centre for Canada. They won’t give it to this riding because it’s held by a Liberal.”
He followed up with comments to City-TV, explaining, “You’re dealing with Conservative bureaucracy and with Conservative ministers, and unfortunately or fortunately – however you want to look at it – they just do not want to proceed with this until such time as the riding has become a Conservative riding.”
The former Conservative candidate for Markham was stripped of his candidacy by the Conservative Party for criticizing Conservative pork-barrelling and the government’s refusal to fund a project in a non-Conservative held riding.
Today, the Parliamentary Budget Officer said the government refuses to share information with him on whether $16 billion in infrastructure is actually being spent. A recent Liberal analysis found only 12 per cent of the $4 billion infrastructure stimulus fund was creating jobs.
“We’d also like Mr. Landon’s insight on why, of 14 infrastructure projects in Markham, none of the 14 have shovels in the ground yet,” Mr. Kennedy added. “Perhaps he knows why the Conservative government hasn’t created a single job in Markham.”
Background:
That Mr. Gordon Landon, York regional Councillor for the Town of Markham, and Mr. Kevin Page, Parliamentary Budget Officer, be invited to appear before the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities to discuss their knowledge of the practices of the Conservative government in regard to infrastructure spending.
