CALEB NICKERSON
CHAPEAU March 31, 2019
L’Ancienne Banque Restaurant in Chapeau was awash with red on Sunday morning as Liberal party supporters came out to support their local candidate and Pontiac’s current MP, Will Amos.
The fundraiser event was filled with a wide selection of municipal politicians, local residents as well as Pontiac MNA André Fortin.
Allumette Island Mayor Winston Sunstrum served as MC for the event, and shared the stage with several local officials, all of whom praised Amos’ accomplishments over the course of his first term.
Pontiac Warden Jane Toller emphasized Amos’ focus on rural internet and cell phone infrastructure, which the region is sorely lacking.
Fortin provided the introduction for Amos, citing their strong working relationship over the previous years, as well as Amos’ commitment to his constituents, before the MP gave a lengthy speech.
“You know, the Liberal movement that swept across Canada in 2015, it wasn’t about Will Amos, that’s for sure, and it was not about the leader of our party, it was not about the party itself, it was actually about Canadians that were demanding a different kind of government,” Amos began. “I’m excited that we’ve got a movement that’s still alive, and it’s a movement that’s built on a wave of hope, hope that we can build a better future, a more prosperous, more inclusive Canada.”
He pointed to specific investments in infrastructure and skills development in the region, as well as beefed-up benefits for families and seniors.
He recalled a listening tour with the newly appointed Minister for Seniors, Filomena Tassi, noting that Sunstrum’s contributions to that discussion were vital.
“Winston, your comments at that second meeting, they weren’t ignored,” he said. “They got built right into the National Senior’s Strategy. This stuff is important.”
He also took a swipe at several high-profile Conservative politicians and their vocal opposition to the federal carbon tax.
“Doug Ford, Jason Kenney and Andrew Scheer, they may believe that pollution ought to be free, that people should be able to emit as they wish,” he said. “Well, as far as I’m concerned, that’s just dismissing the science. It’s cheap politics and we need to get serious about carbon pricing.”
He concluded by acknowledging how important it is for politicians to listen to their constituents during a time when many feel anxious about worldwide economic and political uncertainty.
“Despite the successes that our country has had, economically and in terms of social policy across the board, I think we all can appreciate that there are people that feel concerned,” he said. “There is anxiety. There is a sense of uncertainty about the future. People of the Pontiac, I think, feel that in a very real way, in part because the socio-economic status of our riding is more challenged than other places … These concerns are real and I think it’s important for any government to acknowledge those and not ignore them.”
