With the support of family, friends and party members Nipissing—Timiskaming Conservative candidate Joe Sinicrope opened his Main Street West campaign office Thursday.
With the support of family, friends and party members Nipissing—Timiskaming Conservative candidate Joe Sinicrope opened his Main Street West campaign office Thursday.
Staying on message Sinicrope sang the virtues of Stephen Harper and the Conservative party and why he made the switch from the Liberal camp to the Conservatives.
“This party, the Conservative Party, is an action party in the last 2 ½ years you name it they’ve worked hard,” he told reporters.
“Just one simple fact our native reserves … almost 200 native reserves across the country couldn’t even drink their water that’s the Liberal legacy, the Conservatives in 2 ½ years have reduced that to 85 reserves and there is still more work to be done obviously, that’s the difference between the two parties,” he continued.
“I got tired of the talk and no action and you know what the people of Nipissing—Timiskaming are tired of the talk they want action and that is what I am going to do if they give me there trust.”
He went on to say that leadership is the key when it comes to wooing the voters in the riding and changing the region from red to blue.
“One word leadership, there’s no question that when you compare Stephen Harper to Stephan Dion leadership that’s all it is, and that’s what the people say at the doors.”
Identifying the economy, youth migration and the carbon tax as the issues he is hearing at the door from voters, the Conservative candidate said very little as to how he would do to fix said issues.
“What I will do for the riding is I will work 17-hour days that’s what this riding requires,” he states.
“I will be in my constituency office two Saturdays a month in North Bay, one Saturday a month in the Tri-towns, and one Saturday a month in Mattawa because the people have to have the ability to see their Member of Parliament. For years I recall way back when that our Member of Parliament was in his constituency office on Saturdays, I guess our local MP doesn’t think he has to do that anymore the people elect him anyway don’t they.”
As for the fate of FedNor Sinicrope said it is not in danger and that the budget has never been cut.
“The Liberals have been saying that for years,” he says.
“What happened was, and he (Rota) knows it, they (FedNor) had put that onetime payment for the medical schools – it was a onetime payment for those two schools, the FedNor budget has never been cut, so anyone who tells you that the FedNor budget has been cut is either mistaken or not telling you the truth.”
Sinicrope also said that there are no guarantees when it comes to the fate of North Bay’s runway but that having an MP on the side of government helps.
“I can make no guarantees, what I can guarantee is this that I will work hard to make sure that we keep that runway at 10,000 feet because we have to have it.”
“And you know what we also have to have a government side MP who’s going to be at the table to say that we have to have this for the future prosperity of not just North Bay the entire region that’s my guarantee to you.”
The issue of bilingualism and the English signs the local party have up in the riding, but Sinicrope brushed the signs off as being nothing more than victims of funding shortfalls.
“Well my family, I consider us bilingual, my wife is Francophone my children go to French schools, we only get a certain amount of money to spend on an election, so all I can say is you know we’ll do the best we can.”
“Yes I am the one running but like I am saying to you we only have a certain amount of money to spend we’ll do the best we can.”
Sinicrope says as the campaign progresses that his priorities will remain the economy, the riding, and the country.
