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2009.01.21 – London Free Press, A5
With less than a week to go before the federal government unveils
its plan to inject billions of dollars into the withered economy,
the jockeying to be first in line is heating up.
"Of course there is lots of lobbying going on, of the federal
government and the provincial government, by all politicians,"
London West MPP and Attorney General Chris Bentley said yesterday.
"Everybody will be looking out for their region," said Bentley, who
has organized an economic roundtable Friday where representatives of
labour, business, education and the city can meet the three London
MPs and MPPs.
But the region's politicians agree the lobbying has to be done
carefully, adding it's not clear how the money will be divvied up
across the country.
London West Conservative MP Ed Holder has taken a wish list from
meetings with Londoners to a meeting with Finance Minister Jim
Flaherty and plans another meeting soon.
"My job wasn't to put a spin on which idea was better or wasn't
better," he said. "You put your best case forward and see how it is
received."
With more than 10 per cent of the province's population and an auto
industry in tatters, residents in the region can't be blamed for
hoping to get a good chunk of the money, Holder said.
"As much as anything, my job will be to manage expectations," he
said. "The challenge is you can't satisfy all expectations."
Politicians have to be careful to pitch proposals without pitting
regions of the country against each other, said Conservative MP Joe
Preston (Elgin-Middlesex-London).
"There is always advocacy, but it has to be done fairly," he said.
"Let's get some projects done that need to be done."
As chair of the Southwestern Ontario caucus for the Conservatives,
Preston also speaks for the entire region.
Ultimately, civil servants from Ontario and Ottawa will largely
determine where the money goes, he said.
But Holder said he expects politics will still play a role.
Canada's big city mayors argue the money should be doled out on a
per capita basis, just as gas tax dollars are.
"We know it is tested and true," Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco-Best said
yesterday. "Each community would get a per capita amount."
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