Rota Reacts To Speech From The Throne

Nipissing-Timiskaming MP Anthony Rota reacted to today’s Speech from the Throne questioning Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s agenda.

In a media release today Rota points out that Harper made no mention of FedNor, productivity, the environment, aboriginal Canadians, education, agriculture, or infrastructure funding for cities and communities.

Full details are contained in the release below.

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Nipissing-Timiskaming MP Anthony Rota (Nipissing-Timiskaming) says that today’s Speech from the Throne raises some very critical questions about Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s agenda.

“Today’s speech reiterated the five Conservative campaign promises, but offered no comprehensive vision for the future of Canada,” says Mr. Rota.

In particular, Mr. Rota says that he is disappointed that there was no mention of regional development programs such as FedNor in the Speech from the Throne. “What struck me most about today’s speech wasn’t so much what was included in it, but rather what was left out.”

Among other things, the Conservatives’ five-point plan does not address productivity, the environment, aboriginal Canadians, education, agriculture, or infrastructure funding for cities and communities.

“As the Member of Parliament for Nipissing-Timiskaming I must ensure that the needs of my constituents are being properly addressed,” says Mr. Rota. “As the FedNor critic, I also have a responsibility to make certain that the Conservative Government remains committed to all of Northern Ontario.”

Mr. Rota cites the Conservatives’ plan to scrap the child care agreements reached with the provinces by the Liberal government in favour of a taxable $25-a-week payout to parents as another area of concern.

“A cash payout to parents is not a child care plan,” says Mr. Rota. “The Conservatives keep talking about “choice,” but what choice do parents have if childcare is prohibitively expensive or unavailable due to chronic shortage of spaces?”

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