Gilles Bisson says legislation to divide his riding of Timmins-James Bay into two electoral districts missed the curve.

The NDP MPP says the whole point of cutting the riding was to get more First Nation representation through the voting process, and in the House of Commons.

But he says the proposal that makes Timmins its own riding and the rest becoming the “Mushkegowuk” riding actually reduces the First Nation population percentage-wise in each riding.

This fall, the bill will go to Queen’s Park, where Bisson says it will face the real test.

“What’s the position the government’s going to take and other members are going to take when it comes to what has been proposed,” he said, “And more importantly, when it goes to committee, are we going to make amendments to this particular proposal…and I would hope we would.”

As for his political future and what riding he would run in, Bisson says it’s premature to speculate on that and isn’t making any decisions yet on the matter.

Filed under: Local News