Mr. Speaker, Ottawa business owners are still waiting for compensation seven months after the government hosted the G-20 in Ottawa. Collectively these business owners are owed several million dollars in compensation.
To make matters worse, G-8 summit protesters have now targeted Ottawa for protest next week. Once again local business people are not sure if they will be able to recover potential losses. The government is once again going to leave them high and dry.
It is unfortunate that the seriousness of the situation seems to be lost on one of the local members of parliament. The member for Ottawa Centre was quoted as saying he hopes the mass influx of visitors will boost local sales of food and souvenirs. What the member for Ottawa Centre does not realize is that the main goal of some radical elements is not to bring home souvenirs but to vandalize his city.
Ottawa business owners should not be waiting for lost compensation from last fall. When will the member fight for his own constituents and give them assurances that they will not have to wait for compensation this time around?