Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Bonaventure-Îles-de-la-Madeleine.
I would like to start by pointing out the blatant contradiction in the position of the Official Opposition. On the one hand the Bloc argues that federal intervention is ineffective for Quebec's economic development. On the other hand it criticizes the federal government for cutting back on the budgets of the regional agencies. It cannot continue to have it both ways. Liberals believe that federal programs from unemployment insurance, to health care, to community development, to education, to regional development can and do assist each and every region in Canada to grow and prosper.
From the perspective of western Canada it can be said that the concept of a regional economic development agency based to promote western interests is crucial in terms of diversifying the
economic base of western Canada in creating jobs, increasing our international trade and in obtaining a greater share of federal contracts.
Many people in western Canada have come to identify western diversification as the voice of the west in Ottawa, a department which has done a great deal to ensure that western Canada's interests are always taken into account in the national decision making process.
Western diversification assists western businesses to get equal access to major government contracts not by interfering in the process but by ensuring that there is fairness and equity involved in the awards, that the contracts go to the businesses with the best technology and the best people capable of providing a quality product.
I am sure members will all agree many of those high quality companies and people are based in the west, making a major contribution to the economic strength, not just of western Canada, but of the nation as a whole.
The western share of industrial and regional benefits from major federal procurement contracts has risen from just over 7 per cent in 1988 to just about 35 per cent today, representing some $1.7 billion.
I would also like to commend the Minister of Western Economic Diversification for the work he has done in bringing the western provinces together to the table to look at pan western initiatives which will prove of enormous benefit to the economy of the region and the nation as well. He has taken the lead in saying to the provinces that we should work together in the spirit of co-operation because the government recognizes that co-operation at all levels of government is essential to achieving and maintaining a strong economy not subject to the ebb and flow of international commodity prices, but one which is developed from the strength of the region's people, its skills, and its natural resources.
This kind of co-operation between governments does not create overlap but rather enables all levels to maximize the return on their investment of taxpayers' dollars.
As the member for Saskatoon-Dundurn I know first hand of the importance of diversifying the economic base of Saskatchewan. Biotechnology is now a flourishing industry in Saskatoon thanks in part to the assistance given by western diversification, the NRC and other federal programs that appreciate that Saskatoon has the necessary human skills as anywhere else in Canada. We are building a niche in agricultural biotechnology that is unsurpassed but it is only possible because of the partnerships that are being facilitated by the federal government.
Western diversification is also working closely with business, labour, educational and other institutions for the betterment of the economic well-being of western Canada and the nation as a whole. If western Canada is strong all of Canada benefits and the same holds true for Quebec, Ontario and the Atlantic.
Repayable assistance for small and medium sized businesses by western diversification has helped more than 4,000 projects get off the ground and has created or maintained over 40,000 jobs.
I know that my colleagues from the Reform Party would rather wipe out this kind of assistance but as my government colleagues have already pointed out with many compelling examples from across the country, by helping some of those innovative entrepreneurs get their foot through the door opportunities that otherwise would be lost are instead being created.
Although working with business in this regard is still a major role I believe the department's advocacy role and its increasingly close ties with the provinces and municipalities are both key to the future strength of western Canada.
Our infrastructure program is a compelling example of the importance of such partnerships. Strategic initiatives such as information networks which ensure economic and business information are shared across the west. Other initiatives such as an agri-food initiative which will increase the export of value added food products and benefit farmers and food producers across western Canada and the rest of the nation can only be regarded as positive and proof indeed that western diversification is not only working as a concept but is making a very real, very positive contribution to the nation's economic strength.
The motion calls on the House to condemn ineffective regional development interventions. This Liberal government is working actively to improve and strengthen regional development initiatives across Canada. Indeed we were elected on our policies which include the following commitment in our red book:
We see strong regional economies as the building blocks of Canada. One of the most important ways of making this happen is to develop forums for economic co-operation, joint action and integrated development at the regional level.
This is the approach that we are embracing and promoting. I do not support the opposition motion, as I believe that our federal interventions in regional development are essential to strengthening the social and economic fabric of Canada today and in the future.