By Hub staff

Owen Sound mayor Deb Haswell, currently embroiled in a three-way fight for re-election, is chastising area MP Larry Miller for failing to include dredging of the harbour in his list of priorities for the coming Parliamentary sitting.

"Bruce Grey Owen Sound's MP did not include the unresolved issue of harbour dredging on his "to do" list of priorities Monday when he outlined his agenda in his public statement on the autumn session," Haswell said in a news release."I hope Larry is not avoiding or minimizing this obstacle to Owen Sound's economic growth."

"In the coming term of council, I will join forces with affected citizens and harbour front property owners and developers to get the harbour dredged," Haswell continued.

"Mr. Miller's failure to get the federal government to live up to its responsibilities for our economic future is more worrisome because of his failure to include the harbor dredging on his list on priorities," she concluded.

Reached at his Ottawa office, Miller downplayed Haswell's criticism. "Deb Haswell knows darn well that the harbour is a high priority for me, as are many other issues in the riding. While I didn't mention them all individually, they're all important. Basically, she's playing politics."

The MP added: "If we want to get this thing done, let's work together, not kick the feet out from under each other."