Newly re-elected Kenora MP Greg Rickford has been appointed to a variety of posts within the majority Harper government.

Rickford re-assumes his role as Parliamentary Secretary for Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development (formerly Indian Affairs and Northern Development) under Minister John Duncan. He has also been named Parliamentary Secretary for FedNor under Minister Tony Clement.

Rickford says structural and bureaucratic changes to Northern Ontario’s economic development agency will make it a fresh start.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to play a more prominent role in the new-look FedNor as they continue to roll it out,” said Rickford. “Minister Clement and I have always worked well together, but to have my role expanded into a minster of state/parliamentary secretary layer is great news.”

Rickford has additional responsibilities acting as the parliamentary secretary for Can-Nor, an economic development agency equivalent to FedNor that services the Northwest Territories and Inuvik, headed by Minister Leona Aglukkaq.

Rickford says he hopes his multiple roles can integrate with one another to help the people of the north.

“I’m working as the parliamentary secretary for three ministers,” said Rickford. “I’m going to be a busy guy. We’re looking at synergies around northern development, not just in northern Ontario, but obviously farther north. My work with Indian and Northern Affairs in the last session persuaded me to look more holistically. We’ve come to understand through working with First nations what some of the structural challenges are — whether it’s water and sewer or things like that — we’ve made huge strides to improve conditions there and we continue to make that a top priority.”

By Chris Marchand