For Immediate Release
November 15, 2007

McGuinty shows his double standard
Despite his own Gerrymandering of provincial riding boundaries, McGuinty criticizes Federal riding boundary re-alignment

(Queen's Park, Toronto) - Dalton McGuinty's protests that the Federal Government is treating Ontario unfairly in its proposed riding re-alignment ring false to Norm Sterling, MPP for Carleton-Mississippi Mills and opposition critic for Democratic Renewal.

"Suddenly McGuinty has rediscovered the principal of representation by population," said Mr. Sterling. "This is the same Premier who shortchanged the constituents of 96 Southern Ontario ridings by Gerrymandering riding boundaries in Northern Ontario so that they all have significantly lower populations than Southern ridings, therefore greater representation per capita."

The Charter of Rights in Canada's Constitution guarantees all Canadians effective and equal representation. When the Liberals passed Bill 214 in the last session, they took away Ontarians' equal representation. As a result some thirteen MPPs represent more than 130,000 constituents as of the 2006 Census, including one MPP who represents more than 170,000 constituents. In comparison, MPPs for Northern Ontario ridings represent an average of 76,600 constituents.

At the time Bill 214 was being debated Mr. Sterling protested and introduced his own legislation to create an Electoral Boundaries Commission to redraw the provincial riding boundaries following every census so that all Ontarians would receive equal representation as guaranteed in the Constitution. The McGuinty Liberals refused to consider Mr. Sterling's Bill or his concerns about equal representation.

"Since Premier McGuinty has this newfound interest in ensuring equal representation, I will reintroduce my Bill and I expect that he should be willing to support it," said Mr. Sterling.

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For more information, call Carleton-Mississippi Mills MPP Norm Sterling at: (416) 314-7900