Heather Latter
Local MP John Rafferty and five fellow New Democrat MPs from Northern Ontario have launched a campaign to preserve the region’s 10 seats in the House of Commons if riding boundaries are redrawn.
The NDP have a private member’s bill, sponsored by Nickel Belt MP Claude Gravelle, that would ensure Northern Ontario retains its current complement of seats.
Events were held in Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, and Thunder Bay yesterday to discuss the potential loss of seats, with Rafferty, Gravelle, Glenn Thibeault (Sudbury), Charlie Angus (Timmins-James Bay), Carole Hughes (Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing), and Bruce Hyer (Thunder Bay-Superior North) travelling to all three cities.
Under the government’s redistribution legislation, Ontario will go from 106 to 121 seats in the House of Commons, although Rafferty said “it’s pretty clear that most of the new ridings in Ontario are going to be in the 905 area [code], which are all held by Conservatives.”
In 2003, federal riding redistribution cost Northern Ontario a seat in the House of Commons. But Rafferty said there was a plan to reduce the seats in the region even further.
“It got shelved at the last minute, so we didn’t lose as many as we thought we would,” he noted.
“That plan could very well come back depending on the distribution,” he warned.
“So what we’re trying to impress upon the government—and people in Northern Ontario—is that we can’t afford to lose a riding.”
In fact, it is Rafferty’s personal feeling that of those 15 additional seats allocated to the province, Northern Ontario should at least get one.
“Provincially we have 11 ridings, so let’s get back to 11,” he argued, adding there is a “second prong” to the issue.
“[Premier Dalton] McGuinty said a couple years ago that when the next riding boundary change came that he would follow the federally lines,” Rafferty noted.
“So does that mean if we lose a riding or possibly two, and we go down to eight, would McGuinty follow suit?
“I don’t know what McGuinty is going to do, but at the very least we’re trying to preserve our current share and push for one extra one,” Rafferty maintained.
“We just want to show people in Northern Ontario that we stand by them and with them, and that we’ll fight this government if they decide to go with a bill that shortchanges Northern Ontario,” he pledged.
Rafferty noted due to the redistribution, some changes could happen within the Thunder Bay-Rainy River riding.
“For example, because there has been a slight loss of population, they could decide to do what they did in Sudbury in 2003, which is make Thunder Bay its own riding and then the surrounding area one riding,” he said.
“And perhaps areas in the west of my riding, like Fort Frances to Rainy River, might end up in a large Kenora riding or something like that.
“I don’t know what they’ll come up with,” Rafferty conceded. “But I think we have to be fair and keep politics out of it.”
Rafferty indicated there will be an opportunity for residents to show their concern.
“Probably not to appear in person, but certainly to send something in,” he explained, adding he will keep people informed as to how they can do that.
Rafferty also will be holding constituency clinics in the district next week for residents to drop by and discuss this and other issues:
•Rainy River—Feb. 23 at 6 p.m. (Rainy River Legion);
•Emo—Feb. 24 at 6 p.m. (Emo Legion);
•Fort Frances—Feb. 25 at 9:30 a.m. (location TBA); and
•Atikokan—Feb. 25 at 3 p.m. (location TBA).
“We just want to bring awareness to the issue and let the government know that losing any ridings in Northern Ontario is not going to be acceptable to the people of Northern Ontario,” Rafferty stressed.
