Beatty Concerned Over Lack Of Northern MP
Monday, September 10, 2007 at 13:58
Northern Affairs Minister Joan Beatty says she hopes northern Saskatchewan won’t get overlooked because it doesn’t have a Member of Parliament.
Gary Merasty’s departure from the Desnethe-Missinipi Churchill River constituency could leave the riding without representation for as long as six months.
Beatty says she’ll be watching to make sure federal work gets done in the region while Merasty’s former seat remains vacant.
Beatty says it’s tough for the North to stay in the eye of federal bureaucrats at the best of times, and she worries some projects could be stalled if the region is without an MP for too long.
Some of the portfolios Beatty says she’ll be monitoring include road development, environmental impact assessments and the drive towards a new fish processing plant.
Beatty adds she is sorry to see Merasty go, but understands it is a personal choice.