Hampton fighting for northern ridings

On the last day before the provincial legislature adjourned for the holidays, local MPP and NDP leader Howard Hampton succeeded in passing a resolution to ensure Northern Ontario retains 11 seats at Queen’s Park.
“I move that, in the opinion of this House, the Government of Ontario should ensure the number of provincial electoral districts in Northern Ontario shall not be fewer than the number of such districts that existed on June 3, 1999,” Hampton told the legislature Dec. 16.
Hampton pointed out that Premier Dalton McGuinty, in his election platform, had promised to maintain the number of northern ridings in the province despite the fact the federal boundaries changed last year—reducing them to 10.
The Liberal party similarly outlined its intentions in the throne speech.
The provincial government began following the federal boundaries in 1999 when the Conservatives under former premier Mike Harris were in power.
Hampton said he felt this resolution was necessary despite the Liberals’ promises.
“I’m bringing this forward because, as we’ve already seen, this government has a habit of forgetting its promises,” he noted.
“I think when you put a commitment in the throne speech, you need to see some action,” Hampton added.
“So far, we have not seen action on this issue, and we’re calling upon the McGuinty government once again to keep the promise that was made during the election and afterwards in the throne speech.”
Hampton proceeded to illustrate how Northern Ontario differs from the rest of the province in terms of climate, geography, industry, and population.
Thunder Bay-Superior North MPP Michael Gravelle said he was pleased the NDP is supporting his government’s plan, noting Hampton did not support it during the election campaign in the fall of 2003.
“What hogwash,” countered NDP MPP Gilles Bisson (Timmins-James Bay).
Norm Miller, Conservative MPP for Parry Sound-Muskoka, said he supported the resolution, but expressed fears the Liberals would decide to remove his riding—the southern-most of the 11 northern ridings—from the list.
“I worry about the government suddenly trying to look at the politics of where the boundaries will be,” Miller said.
Bisson noted when he was first elected in 1990, there were 15 northern MPPs.
“With that critical mass, had a bit of an ability to influence the outcome of what was going on here in the legislature and individually within our caucuses,” he remarked.
Hampton’s resolution was passed, but it remains for the government to bring forward a bill to make it law.
The legislature will resume sitting Feb. 15.