Mining cities, like Greater Sudbury, need a new revenue-sharing deal from senior levels of government, said Elizabeth May, Green Party of Canada leader.
May made a pit stop at the Via Rail stations in Capreol and Sudbury Junction Wednesday to talk to supporters and the media. May had boarded the train in Vancouver on the weekend as part of her cross-Canada tour.
May agreed with Mayor John Rodriguez that there is a serious infrastructure deficit plaguing the finances of the city.
“We need to climb back from the infrastructure deficit that has developed at such an alarming extent. I know Mayor Rodriguez is working very hard on this because he knows his revenue stream from mining revenues is falling,” said May.
“If your federal government went on strike when would you notice? When they don't ask for your income tax? But when your municipality goes on strike they do not pick up your garbage. Cities are the level of government closest to the citizens, but they have the least ability to tax to deliver those services,” said May.
She went on to say that Toronto Mayor David Miller said, that of all political parties, the Green Party platform on municipalities was the best.
She explained why: $3 billion per year to municipalities in stable funding envelopes; putting the GST back up to six per cent from the current five per cent; and changing the Registered Retirement Savings Program so people could invest in municipal bonds.
“I don't think many families really feel they benefited from that GST cut but I bet a whole lot of them feel it when municipal infrastructure, like roads or services like public transit, are degraded,” said May.
The Green party leader said she thinks many people would feel more secure if their retirement funds were helping fund schools for their grandchildren or expanding bus services, rather than lining the pockets of some off-shore investment company executives.
“This is what Canadians want. They want to invest in themselves, not in dodgy operations. We want to highlight the importance of family and community and the fundamental pillars of our civilization, ensuring government policy meets those goals,” said May.
Not since Conservative Leader John Diefenbaker in the mid 1960s, has any national leader used the train system for a national political campaign.
Sudbury riding Green Party candidate Gord Harris said the train trip was great.
“This train trip campaign is an absolute home run. I think for a lot of people there is deep nostalgia for the trains. Sudbury was a train depot itself. Canada was built along a rail line from sea to sea,” he said.
“Trains were our national dream. I wish there was a train service from Sudbury to Toronto like we had before. I don't appreciate the four to five hour drive myself.
On the train you can relax, read, even do office work.”
Harris said his campaign has been going well.
“I opened a campaign office on Lorne Street, diagonally across from the Independent food store. I have 120 signs in the ground and another 300 to get out. They are all recyclable signs. Response at the door has been good so far,” he said.
Nickel Belt Green Party candidate Fred Twilley, a geologist, said his campaign team had doubled from his last provincial run at politics. He said he had 60 signs in place with another 40 to go.
Twilley can be reached at twilley@isys.ca, www.fredtwilley.ca or phone 524-2558. Harris can be reached at 149 Lorne Street, or phone 222-6974 or we2greens@persona.ca.
