LONDON MPs HOST TOWNHALL ON FEDERAL BUDGET

LONDON –After the introduction of the 2010 federal budget in the first week of March, Canada’s Finance Minister is embarking on tour to “sell” Canadians on the merits of his budget. London Ontario will be the Finance Minister’s first stop on this tour, as the keynote speaker at a $60 per person luncheon with the Chamber of Commerce. But everyday Londoners who can’t afford a $60 lunch ticket will still have an opportunity to make their views on the budget heard, thanks to a cooperative effort between Liberal MP Glen Pearson (London North Centre) and NDP MP Irene Mathyssen (London Fanshawe).

“I appreciate that the Finance Minister is making the time to speak to the business leaders about the federal budget, but we believe that government and parliament has a duty to consult with a broad range of Canadians on something as important as our national budget,” says Pearson. “We need to also listen to organizations like the United Way, the Salvation Army, and others who work so hard to help those in need in communities right across Canada, as well as listening to the concerns of individual Canadians”.

“We cannot pretend that the initial signs of economic recovery we are starting to see mean all the problems have gone away. Thousands of workers in this area are still out of work, and the prospect of finding work any time in the immediate future is not good. Seniors are struggling to make ends meet on meager pension benefits and families are struggling to find affordable housing and childcare, but we are already hearing the Minister talking about cuts and I am profoundly concerned about what this might mean for those in need of help,” says Mathyssen. “As MPs, we should listen to a variety of ideas and views, but ultimately we are responsible to the individual Canadians in our ridings. They are the people we were elected to represent, and their voice must be heard”.

The London Federal Budget Townhall will be held on Saturday March 6th from 2-4pm, at the Carling Heights Optimist Centre, 656 Elizabeth St. The event is free and open to both individual citizens and community organizations.

Click to view or download the poster for this event: