Anthony Rota held a news conference at his campaign headquarters today. ____________________________________________________________
Nipissing-Timiskaming Liberal candidate Anthony Rota says Al McDonald has spread misinformation about CFB North Bay downsizing, and, “in effect” is attacking Bob Wood while the retired Nipissing MP is out of the country.
McDonald responded by accusing Rota of resorting to "crass politics" and trying to put words in his mouth.
Rota called a news conference today on the base issue, spurred on by something he’d read in The Nugget.
Sticking it to the city In the article Rota was alluding to, McDonald tells reporter Dave Dale that the federal Liberal “gutted” the base.
“Then they demanded the city pay for all the expenses for keeping what was left open,” McDonald said, referring to a letter of understanding between the city and the defence department.
Later in the Nugget article McDonald says “They were trying to look like the heroes, while the whole time sticking it to the city,” McDonald said about the Liberals.
Squadron left But, Rota said, the “facts and truths” about the base are different than McDonald’s version.
“On April 27, 1989, the Mulroney Conservative government decided to remove the 414 Squadron from North Bay. On June 28, 1992, the Mulroney Conservative government implemented this decision and the squadron left North Bay,” Rota said.
“Once the squadron left North Bay a domino effect occurred and the support services left as well. Let me repeat—it was the Conservatives and not the Liberals who withdrew the 414 Squadron from North Bay.”
Disappointed and disturbed Rota said it was Wood who “lead the charge” to save the base and also got the federal government to build a $24 million above-ground command building at CFB North Bay.
“I have to say that I am disappointed and disturbed that Mr. McDonald has chosen to spread his misinformation and, in effect, attack Bob Wood while he is out of the country leading Canada’s D-Day delegation to Normandy and therefore not able to defend himself,” Rota said.
"I find it very annoying that Mr. McDonald is putting out misinformation and I think people deserve to know the truth. If he’s going to say anything he should base it on facts and not on headlines.”
Shoulder to shoulder McDonald said the facts show he's always supported Wood, particularly on the matter of saving CFB North Bay.
During that time McDonald had been president of the North Bay and District Chamber of Commerce, he said.
"I stood proudly shoulder to shoulder with Bob Wood, and, with all the resources of the chamber, supported him fully in his fight against his own government, and I was proud he’d taken on his own government," said McDonald, who owns the U Need A Cab taxi company.
"It was a a very tough thing that he did and as a business owner I put stickers on all our vehicles saying 'Save the base' and I was there and I praised Bob at the time for his efforts."
Crass politica Wood, McDonald said, "took a courageous stand" against his own government.
"And at no time did I ever try to take credit," McDonald said.
"I sat in the background, and Bob Wood actually used one of my quotes in his election brochures in 2000 in which I said we should rename the base CFB Wood in his honour," McDonald said.
"My Liberal opponent is trying to play crass politics by trying to put words in my mouth," McDonald said.
"I don’t think that’s fair to me or to any citizen of North Bay."
Unfortunate and underhanded McDonald also said it was "very unfortunate and underhanded" that Rota would imply he would make "some kind of announcement" regarding the base when Wood was out of the country.
That, McDonald said, was not the way it happened.
"I picked up the newspaper and read the story about the base that day, the same day Anthony Rota did a presentation at the base, when he made his story public," McDonald said.
"The media asked for my comment, so we were responding to what he was saying. At no time did we make any comments previous to Bob leaving or when Bob left. It was all in response to what Anthony Rota, the candidate was saying."
