Press Release
Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP John Rafferty is demanding that Minister of Transport John Baird apologize to the people of his riding for callous remarks Baird made regarding the proposed TTC-Bombardier streetcar deal.
Rafferty is calling on the government to reconsider its apparent rejection of federal funds for the project, which is vital to the economy of the Thunder Bay region.
He also is calling for end to what he calls the “toxic culture” that exists within the Conservative government.
Rafferty was responding to a Toronto Star article yesterday that said Baird became flustered after a meeting with Toronto Mayor David Miller on the TTC-Bombardier deal and ducked into a media briefing room before declaring: “They should f— off.”
“For a minister in the federal government to say something so callous about an issue that is so important to the economy of our region is appalling,” Rafferty said.
Rafferty also is demanding the minister reconsider his apparent rejection of the TTC-Bombardier proposal.
“More troubling than receiving an insult from this minister is the fact that he is now claiming the TTC-Bombardier deal is ineligible for stimulus funding,” noted Rafferty.
“He’s saying that it won’t create jobs and would take too long to get started, but he’s wrong on both counts.
“This government needs to stop picking political fights with Northwestern Ontario and the GTA and do the right thing,” he stressed.
Rafferty believes Baird’s comments are part of a larger cultural problem within the Conservative government.
“They see everything as an opportunity to wage war with their political enemies and make gains for themselves,” he charged.
“They barge into other ridings to make announcements and grab a headline without telling their colleagues, they crack jokes and try to advance their careers on issues like listeriosis outbreaks and the lack of isotopes and cancer medicine, and now they’re telling people in the Northwestern Ontario and the GTA to f— off,” Rafferty said.
“The Harper government has created a toxic culture for everyone involved, but they need to start putting the public interest ahead of their own.”
