Angus slams Liberals over FedNor inaction

OTTAWA – Timmins NDP MP Charlie Angus says FedNor is in urgent need of an overhaul.

In a release issued on Wednesday, Angus called out the Liberal government for what he termed a lcck of action to rebuild the regional economic development agency back up after years of Conservative cuts.

Angus went on to say FedNor employees are “demoralized and frustrated” by a lack of institutional leadership, conditions he said were revealed in a 2014 internal survey. 

“FedNor plays a crucial role in building economic development opportunities for Northern Ontario. The report shows that the work of staff is constrained by budget limitations, recent cuts and a lack of effective decision-making in senior management,” Angus said, noting in 2008 84 per cent of employees rated FedNor as a great place to work, a number that plummeted to 30 per cent six years later.

He’s concerned nothing has changed, despite the change in power.

“This government has taken no steps to restore the FedNor budget from recent cuts or to make FedNor a standalone independent agency.

The question is how will the minister respond to this scathing report,” added Angus, also pointing out the Liberals have yet to restore $26 million cut from the agency’s annual budget by the now-deposed Stephen Harper Conservatives.