Member of Parliament Jake Stewart is calling on both levels of Government to clarify their respective positions on the proposal for a Multiplex facility put forward by the Miramichi City Council after it was acknowledged that senior government officials Federally had no direct awareness of the project.

Stewart said “For more than a decade now this file has been an awkward political football in our Region, and its paralysis is preventing the development of sound ideas for new initiatives in Miramichi. We need to see a meeting between the City of Miramichi, and the provincial and federal governments, to finally conclude this matter. The political will is either there, or it is not, and it’s time for both levels of Government to decide. Move forward – Or move on.”

Stewart’s desire to see the Provincial and Federal Governments clarify commitment to the project comes amid public comments by former Liberal MP Pat Finnigan where he stated, “I have supported the project, and our government was committed to fund its share, waiting for the other partners to come to the table.”

Stewart said “The Government of Canada has never announced its support for this project and at no time have they indicated that their share of funding has ever been in place. Furthermore, in recent meetings with senior staff at the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), I specifically asked about this project and was informed that the agency had no knowledge of it, nor of any request for financial assistance. So, my next stop is Infrastructure Canada to ask the same questions.”