News
Who Stands Up for Edmonton in Ottawa?
August 6, 2009
Media Release
Who Stands Up for Edmonton in Ottawa?
Edmonton - Mary MacDonald, the newly minted Federal Liberal candidate for Edmonton Centre, is “blown away” by current MP Laurie Hawn’s reported comments on grant funds for the Edmonton Folk Music Festival.
Edmonton ’s Folk Fest did not receive one cent from the federal government’s$100 million Marquee Tourism Events stimulus program, while similar events in many Canadian cities received hundreds of thousands of dollars of federal support. Media have quoted Laurie Hawn saying that he deliberately sat on the sidelines and watched as federal money flowed every which way but Edmonton’s.
“It’s clear to me, based on other grants under this program, that the federal government is basing its funding decisions on arbitrary and political criteria,” says MacDonald. “Frankly, it seems Edmonton doesn’t meet those criteria in the eyes of this government and our local Conservative MPs. When we look at the controversy this summer over funding for the Pride Parade in Toronto and the Divers/Cite festival in Montreal, and then this story breaks about the lack of funds for our own Folk Fest here in Edmonton, a disturbing pattern is emerging – if you’re a political constituency that the government cares about, you get funding. If you’re not, you don’t.
MacDonald is the newly nominated Liberal candidate for Edmonton Centre as of July 27, 2009. She is currently organizing for the upcoming campaign, and pledges to work as hard as she can to earn the right to represent the citizens of Edmonton Centre in Ottawa.
MacDonald suggests that if Laurie Hawn prefers not to stand up for our city, he should just stand aside.
For information contact:
Mary MacDonald
Phone: 780-991-4815
Email: ElectMaryMacDonald@gmail.com
events
LETHBRIDGE: the Lethbridge Federal Liberal Association Candidate Selection MeetingAugust 7, 2010
Registration at 10:00am/meeting immediately after RED DEER: LPCA Governing Council Meeting
September 11, 2010 LPCA Governing Council Meeting
November 27, 2010 OTTAWA, ONT: June 15 to 19, 2011 - Biennial Convention of the Liberal Party of Canada: "Toward a Party Renewed"
June 15, 2011