Michael Ignatieff showed off traditional Liberal stripes Tuesday as he pledged more government intervention to solve long-standing problems in the region.
The federal Liberal Party leader bombarded Stephen Harper's Conservatives for "passing the buck" on the international bridge/Canada Customs impasse and the ongoing smuggling across the St. Lawrence River.
"(The Conservatives) are walking away from the issue; you have to try to be present to fix it," he said, of the temporary customs port of entry at Brookdale Avenue.
He criticized the hands-off approach of previous Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan and his successor, Vic Toews.
The ministers say its an "operational" issue to be solved by the Canada Border Security Agency.
Compounding matters, Ignatieff said, is that (local Conservative MP) "Guy Lauzon has gone silent on the (bridge/customs) issue."
Lauzon has maintained that the most he can do is encourage the agency to work at finding a permanent location for the port of entry, which has clogged the entrance to the Seaway bridge on Brookdale Avenue.
Meanwhile, the Liberal leader credited high profile Liberal MPs Mark Holland and Todd Russell for visiting Cornwall and Akwesasne to overlook the situation.
With the customs issue well over a year old, it shows the need for a federally appointed mediator, Ignatieff said.
"It's having an effect on commercial interests and development on Cornwall and the region," he said, comparing it to the impasse at Caledonia -- another Native-related issue which should be solved by federal government leadership.
He said the same accountability appears to be duplicated with the "out-of-control" smuggling of contraband cigarettes.
He said a "co-ordinated strategy" shouldn't involve just various police services, but should also include a "community-related piece, believing the issue is pitting aboriginals against non-aboriginals.
"How do we find a way forward? That's for the federal government. But where is it? Missing in action."
Ignatieff's scope of closer government involvement also had a natural place in economic development.
He pledged a Liberal government would maintain funding for economic development in comparison to the "Conservative free market" approach.
While he did not commit to extra funding, Ignatieff said the Liberals would focus harder on issues such as acquiring higher speed Internet capabilities, attracting physicians to below serviced areas, and recognizing the role of volunteer firefighters.
He declined to identify whether the city, S, D and G and Prescott-Russell will get more financial attention than most other ridings.
Ignatieff believes previous MPs Bob Kilger and Don Boudria "provided great representation" and he is confident that city lawyer, Coun. Bernadette Clement and assistant Crown attorney Julie Bourgeois of Rockland will have a shot at bringing the seats back into the Liberal fold.
Clement said she was pleased to have Ignatieff begin his cross-country tour in these two ridings, which shows the importance he places on them.
He said sacrificing environmental concerns for budgetary reasons "to my instinct is a bad move" when asked if he supported de-listing the St. Lawrence River below the dam as an environmental hot spot.
Federal and provincial environment ministries are eyeing the possibility that less funding will be needed in the future for the Cornwall area.