Tony Clement

Tony Clement

Tony Peter Clement, PC, MP (born January 27, 1961) is a Canadian federal politician, President of the Treasury Board, Minister for the Federal Economic Initiative for Northern Ontario (FedNor) and Member of Parliament of the Conservative Party of Canada.

Clement had previously served as an Ontario cabinet minister; most recently as Minister of Health and Long-Term Care under premiers Mike Harris and Ernie Eves.

Moving to federal politics, he was a candidate for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada after its formation from the merger of the Progressive Conservative and Canadian Alliance parties in 2003, but ultimately lost to Stephen Harper. Clement won the seat of Parry Sound—Muskoka in the 2006 federal election, defeating incumbent Liberal cabinet minister Andy Mitchell. The Conservatives formed government in the election and Clement was appointed Minister of Health and Minister for FedNor. FedNor is an initiative with the prerogative to aid rural communities in Northern Ontario. Projects so far include a $2.7 million gas pipeline to the Goldcorp mines in Red Lake.

Among others his most famous controversy includes using 50 million dollars of tax payers money that was meant for the G8 and border issues on his own riding. This was done by misleading the Canadian parliament about the purpose of the funds and once the opposition became aware of this deception, the 50 million dollars became known as Clement's slush fund. " In her final report, Auditor-General Sheila Fraser said last spring it is clear the Conservative government broke the rules by using the border fund in Muskoka and complained that there was no paperwork to determine how the hundreds of proposals were narrowed to 32."