It was Liberal incumbent for the Nipissing-Timiskaming riding Anthony Rota's turn to officially open his campaign headquarters Tuesday night.
A crowd of over a hundred supporters, which included a couple of well-known artists, two Near North school board trustees and a couple of area municipal councilors, turned out Tuesday night to hear what the Liberal candidate Anthony Rota has to offer and how the Liberal plan 'Your Family, Your Future, Your Canada' will affect the people of Nipissing-Timiskaming riding.
“I am extremely proud of the Liberal plan because it meets head-on the concerns that my staff and I hear constantly from the voters of this riding.”
“Time and time again the voters of Nipissing-Timiskaming talk to us about the high cost of a college or university education, they express their worries for their retirement - they worry about the size of their government pension benefits and they want a way to top up their benefits by putting money into a CPP investment fund.”
Conservative candidate Jay Aspin, with assistance from Conservative House Whip incumbent MP Gordon O’Conner, held an opening ceremony Monday night where they both called Rota’s record into question and his flip flop on the gun registry bill. The Liberal candidate wasted no time firing back.
"Weak coming from Gordon O'Conner is interesting, but I would expect mud from Gordon O'Conner that's his job that's what they do in Ottawa, but to hear that,” he says.
“I'm not sure if Jay said the same thing, but you know I am looking at Mr. Aspin's record I'm looking at mine -- I would put my record up against Jay Aspin's record any day."
Rota agreed he has missed a number of votes while working in the riding and abroad representing the Government of Canada.
“When you’re away you’re going to miss some votes as long as you don’t miss the crucial ones.”
“I’m sure if you dig deeper you’ll find that if I’ve missed any votes, or the ones that I have missed, I was either representing Nipissing-Timiskaming, I was either in the Nipissing-Timiskaming for specific functions or I was out of the country representing Canada.”
“Actually if he (O’Conner) says I changed my mind on the long gun registry I won’t call him a liar but I’ll call him very weak.”
“What happened is on the long gun registry what I have always debated for and fought for was a change in the licencing.”
“When we look at the licencing the ‘POL’ Possession Only Licence and Possession Acquisition Licence is where I get most complaints in my office, that’s where I try to fix it.”
Rota says when the long gun registry went to committee he attempted to talk with all sides on the issue to make the necessary changes, but they all had the heels dug in deep and would not be moved.
“I went to our leader and I said look they’re not budging,” he says.
“I want to see something about the POL in the POL because there’s an injustice there with the system, with the licencing system. What Stephen Harper and Gordon O’Conner are talking about is getting rid of the registry, that does not touch the licencing system and that is where the problem is.”
“So when they say they’re getting rid of the registry they’re being very dishonest they’re not getting rid of the problem they’re waiving this panacea in front of people making them think oh they’re going to solve all the problems, but anybody who has a POL that expires Stephen Harper will take their guns away and that’s a fact with the way the licencing is set up now.”
Rota says he has negotiated with Liberal leader Michael Ignatief that changes will take place if they form the government.
“We will arrange it so that POLs will go on indefinitely and we won’t be forcing 80-year-old men to write an exam that they will have a hard time with.”
When asked about the riding being a Liberal strong hold only changing parties once in the last 90 years, the four-time incumbent told reporters he takes nothing for granted.
“There’s no such thing as a stronghold for any party.”
“I’m proud to be the MP, I would love to continue being the MP and I work hard during my term as MP and now during the election we work hard right through. There is no such thing as a sure win.”
As for talk of another talk of nothing changing in the house and that there will be another minority government installed he says never guess what the electorate will do.
“You know when people say it could be another minority government I just say look at 1993 it was going to be a guaranteed Conservative majority it switched very quickly. Things happen in elections you never know where they are going to end it could be either way.”
“So that’s why it’s very important for people to come out and vote for the person who they feel is most competent and they want most to represent them in Ottawa.”
Both the Green and NDP parties have yet to announce their campaign headquarter locations.
