The agencies major objectives are to help ensure that the construction of the project contributes to ACOA's major corporate objectives of long term job creation and attracting new industries, to help ensure that the developer complies with the regional benefit agreement, to help mitigate the negative impact of the cessation of the marine Atlantic operation, to help minimize negative effects on marine Atlantic workers displaced by the construction of the fixed link, to help maximize development opportunities and benefits for the Borden area of Prince Edward Island and the Cape Tormentine area of New Brunswick arising from the Northumberland Strait crossing project.
The federal government is committed to providing $20 million to fund development activities in these areas. As a maritimer, as an Atlantic Canadian, I say hooray.
Like the other Canadian provinces, those in Atlantic Canada must face the major stakes created by the world economy which has become more and more competitive because of trade globalization and free trade. Moreover, Canadians from the Atlantic region must deal with a new reality: a systematic structural transformation of some major industries like the groundfish fisheries.
If ACOA really wants to help the area to cope with the situation, it must absolutely use the meagre monetary resources it has in the best possible manner.
The agency favours direct support of those sectors and companies which hold the most promise in terms of permanent jobs creation for Canadians of the Atlantic region. This government is determined to make the best possible use of its meagre resources by eliminating duplication and overlapping in services and programs offered to businesses and by reducing the number of departments and agencies providing those services.
Besides, the agency will continue to improve the efficiency of public investments by obtaining a greater commitment from the private sector towards the development of small and medium-sized businesses. But it is also the agency's responsibility to administer the resources allocated to it in the most effective way possible.
Discussions about the necessity for Canadian businesses to improve their productivity to allow the country to be more competitive on the markets have become commonplace. However, the improvement of productivity is very important for the overall competitiveness of the country. The government is determined to improve the effectiveness of the bureaucracy, and I can tell you that any other private or public organization would die to be able to show results comparable to those of ACOA.
The agency's move to focus its activities on improving the competitiveness of small and medium sized business is more credible because ACOA has demonstrated it has an understanding of what is needed to improve efficiency and the benefits that are possible.
Over the last three years ACOA has been able to reduce corporate administration costs as a percentage of total agency costs by 20 per cent. The agency is forecasting a further drop of 25 per cent and so costs are expected to be only 3 per cent this year of total costs.
Part of this government's commitment to creating opportunity has been to look at the relevance of all bodies and recommend elimination or downsizing.
Shortly after taking charge of the agency a study was commissioned by Dr. Donald Savoie of the ACOA advisory board. The study was made available by the minister to the public. The recommendations are now being considered and he will soon be making recommendations in a number of areas, including the issue of streamlining the board's operation.
The savings which have been achieved and those which are able to come will potentially allow a transfer of funds from operating costs to contributions in support of SME growth and competitiveness.
We in Atlantic Canada are very happy with ACOA. We are very happy as members of Parliament for Atlantic Canada and as Canadian members of Parliament that this government is committed to the regional development of every part of the country. The best and happiest Canadians are those with economic security. This government and ACOA know how to put that in motion.