Pubdate: Thu, 01 Aug 2013
Source: Standard, The (CN ON)
Copyright: 2013, Osprey Media Group Inc.
Contact:  http://www.elliotlakestandard.ca/webapp/sitepages/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2806
Author: Jordan Allard

NDP LEADER TAKES "LISTENING TOUR" TO ELLIOT LAKE

Federal NDP leader Thomas Mulcair was all ears during a stop in Elliot
Lake on Monday afternoon during what he called his "listening tour"
across Northern Ontario.

Mulcair met with Elliot Lake mayor Rick Hamilton at city hall for a 30
minute meeting before travelling to Manitoulin Island.

The trip to town is the first visit to Elliot Lake for
Mulcair.

"We're traveling across the country, not just where we hold ridings,
but in places we hope to gain," said Mulcair, who spoke with the media
before meeting with Hamilton.

"We need a lot more seats if we're going to form government."

The leader of the official opposition said touring across the country
allows him to hear the concerns of all Canadians.

Mulcair said he wanted to use the meeting with Hamilton to update
himself on the Elliot Lake Inquiry into the deadly Algo Centre Mall
collapse.

"Public safety needs to be a top priority of any elected official,"
said Mulcair, who hopes lessons will be learned from the tragedy.

"As a lawyer and a Member of Parliament I have to be deferential to
the judicial process that's now ongoing."

Mulcair and Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing MP Carol Hughes met with the
North Shore Tribal Council for a meeting on Monday morning in Sault
Ste. Marie.

Hughes called the gathering "great" and said the group is looking for
politicians to support their concerns in the next election.

"It's extremely important because we know that it's the type of issue
that if you don't deal with once and for all thoroughly, and with
dedication and sincerity, it's a huge debt we're going to leave to the
next generations in Canada," said Mulcair, about issues affecting
Aboriginals.

"The NDP are the government in waiting and we want to show Canadians
that not only should the Conservatives be replaced, we're the party to
replace them."

Mulcair said First Nations are a federal responsibility and he
believes it's the role of the federal government to work with the
provinces and deal with First Nation's issues.

The leader, who took the party's reigns from the popular Jack Layton,
who lost his battle to cancer two years ago, believes that there are
many areas where the federal government can help First Nations to
ensure they have the same opportunity and basic needs as the rest of
Canada.

Mulcair said in order to do that "you need to develop a relationship
nation to nation and that includes respect and recognition," he said.
"Start with that and the rest will flow."

Other items that need to "flow" include federal investments into
education and First Nation communities, he said.

First Nation students need the same investment in education as other
Canadians, he said. First Nations children get 50% less funding per
capita than other students across Canada.

"If I was one of those parents I wouldn't accept that," he
said.

Mulcair not so high on legalizing marijuana

Liberal Party of Canada leader Justin Trudeau sparked heated debates
across the country last week when he came out in favour of legalizing
marijuana.

Mulcair isn't as high as Trudeau on legal pot, but the NDP leader does
feel the current laws are overly harsh.

"I don't think anyone should go to jail for using marijuana," said
Muclair.

"But we also think we shouldn't put the cart before the
horse."

While stressing the importance of looking at the product available on
the current market, Mulcair said social and heath concerns need to be
investigated before any laws are altered.

"What we smoked when I was younger is orgeno compared to what's on the
market today," said Mulcair, when asked if he's ever smoked marijuana.

"Yes to the decriminalization of marijuana, but before we go beyond
that we need to find out all the facts."
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MAP posted-by: Matt