A chair for each
Equalization fairness invites Cape Breton politicians to discuss contentious issue
The group spearheading the effort to reform the equalization transfer process is hoping a closed-door meeting will entice Cape Breton’s elected representatives to attend an information session slated for today in Sydney. But while the public is not invited, the group hosting the meeting is making the session available online in realtime. And, the public will be able to ask questions over the internet.
Nova Scotians for Equalization Fairness (NSEF) spokesperson Russ Green said the decision was made to hold the meeting privately so as to entice local MLAs to attend without fear of public demonstration or personal attack.
“We’re trying to make this as productive as possible,” said Green.
“Our board has a wealth of information on equalization and is looking forward to addressing the issue with as many local councillors, MLAs and MPs as possible.”
According to Green, invitations have been sent to Mayor Cecil Clarke, all 12 CBRM councillors, Cape Breton’s eight MLAs (two Liberals, five Conservatives and one New Democrat) and the island’s two federal Liberal MPs. However, as the national parliament is in session, organizers already know that both Cape Breton-Victoria MP Mark Eyking and Cape Breton-Canso MP Rodger Cuzner will not be in attendance at the afternoon meeting.
Green said name-tagged chairs will be reserved for each elected representative that is invited and that pictures will be taken of those who do not attend and will be distributed publicly.
The NSEF, which has become the public face of the fight for equalization fairness, organized a rally last month in Sydney that attracted about 600 protestors to the provincial building.
“We’ll be holding more rallies, so there will be more opportunity to express themselves — in the meantime, we’ll be asking people to phone the MLAs who do not attend the meeting,” said Green, adding that the group has published contact details for the politicians on its Facebook page.
He said those interested in observing the meeting can do so by accessing the livestream on the same page.
At issue is the annual $1.8 billion federal equalization transfer payment that Nova Scotia receives from Ottawa and how it relates to the CBRM’s bleak economic situation.
The NSEF maintains that the cash-strapped CBRM is entitled to much more than the $15 million it receives annually from the province and that the transfer to the municipality should be closer to $239 million.
Municipal Affairs Minister Derek Mombourquette, the former CBRM councillor who has represented Sydney-Whitney Pier in the legislature since 2015, refutes the group’s contention and says the $15 million is a provincial transfer operating grant that has nothing to do with the federal equalization transfer program and is instead funded by the Nova Scotia Power Inc. grant-in-lieu of property tax program and partly from the province’s general revenues.