TRURO - A local Liberal is concerned funding for Colchester County's regional civic centre is being delayed for political reasons.
Jim Burrows said it is important the federal government meets its commitment to the program as it has in other communities.
"Why is it taking so long for an announcement of funding when the community
has shown leadership and the municipal
and provincial governments have made their commitments known a long time ago?" the Green Oaks farmer and businessman asked yesterday.
"Is the Conservative government hoping to buy votes by waiting to announce the money once an election is underway?" added Burrows, who is running for the nomination to represent the Liberals in Cumberland Colchester Musquodoboit Valley during the next federal election.
"Perhaps this will be the first announcement made by our local Conservative candidate after the election is called."
Scott Armstrong, who is the riding's Conservative candidate, said traditionally governments do not make those types of announcements during an election.
"That's not something we're going to do here," he said. "My campaign would never support trying to use the civic centre to leverage a win."
While governments do not make funding announcements after the writ is dropped parties can make commitments to projects they would fund if elected.
Armstrong said the Conservatives have already done that.
During the provincial election campaign, Nova Scotia's federal cabinet minister Peter MacKay came to Truro and said he would be back in the late summer or early fall to make the announcement.
Armstrong said it might be the Opposition parties that end up delaying the project announcement.
"I am worried the upcoming election, the Liberals are so hot to get, is going to delay the announcement," he said.
Armstrong said the topic of the civic centre comes up often and his message has been clear.
"That funding proposal is supported by the government, it's going through the bureaucratic process for having the funding approved," he said. "This project is pretty far along the process."
The Liberal party's nomination meeting will take place Saturday at Redcliff Middle School. Tracy Parsons, who ran for the party in 2009, is also running for the nomination.
jmalloy@trurodaily.com
Federal Grit candidate wonders where civic centre funding is
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Comments
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- Anderson
- - January 18th, 2010 at 10:13:22
As I understand it the only reason funding was not announced here was because we elected Bill Casey.
This is the real Stephen Harper. The one who will only help those who agree with his extreme values.
The man without the sweater vest is the one the Reform Party doesn't want us to see. -
- Morgan
- - January 18th, 2010 at 10:04:47
Let's hope that Mr. Burrows politicization of this issue doesn't blow up in our faces and result in a delay of this project.
And if his Liberal Party gets its way we will be in an election before the official funding announcement may be possible. -
- Greg
- - January 18th, 2010 at 09:55:33
Mr Burrows, Mr Armstrong and Ms. Parrsons, as Co- Chair of the Civic Center Project, I have never phoned or ask any of you for help in tiring to get funding from the Federal Government. Mr MacKay has come and made a deal with our committe and our Fund Raising Chair Jon Stanfield is looking after any issues dealing with fund raising. At the start of this process the Town and County worked together to make up a working committe 2 Council members from each council and four volunteer Chairs from the community. We have met and had many meetings with citizens of the community and so far we have everything running smooth. If any of you three MP hopefuls need any answers about funding or anything else, you would probally have a better chance getting the right answers from Bob Taylor (Co Chair), Jon, or myself the other Co Chair then tiring to find them through the paper.
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- John
- - January 18th, 2010 at 09:51:23
As a supporter of Tracy Parsons, I'm wondering why the reporter didn't include comments from her in this story. She was at home yesterday and was easily reachable. As a former managing editor of this newspaper, I would have severely reprimanded an experienced reporter such as Mr. Malloy for such a glaring departure from fair reporting methods. Unfortunately, based on my dealings with one senior newsroom staffer during the last federal election, such unbalanced reporting doesn't surprise me. In my opinion the publisher needs to have a discussion with the news staff at the paper to reinforce the need for fair, balanced reporting. I am submitting a news release to the paper today which, in fairness to Miss Parsons, should be published in Saturday's edition. This situation could have been avoided had Mr. Malloy called Ms. Parsons for her comments as he did with Conservative candidate Scott Armstrong and Mr. Burrows, the other contender for the Liberal nomination.
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- Glamourgirl
- - January 18th, 2010 at 09:50:23
Brooke a baby by working with Peter got us money for a new Ag Historical Center in Middle Musq. Come on Truro!
