Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question. Of course there needs to be more accountability built into the program. I would identify that as one of the continuing areas of concern with the community futures program.
In my estimation and my experience the value of the program depends on the personnel who manage it and the expertise of the individuals who decide who gets a loan and who does not.
In Kamloops we have had a very high success rate. But there will be losses, just as there are losses with bank loans and other kinds of loans. Even if there was a certain loan loss, it might be an indication of some success. The role of community futures seems to be to provide funding for those relatively high risk business ventures that cannot, for whatever reason, obtain funding from more traditional lending sources and therefore appeal for support from community futures boards.
If I may use this opportunity to mention a shortcoming of the existing system, it is that individuals who have submitted business plans and have what appear to be good business ideas and are encouraged to continue, but when they are rejected it often seems to be just luck. They are just rejected. The client walks away after spending many weeks or months preparing a thoughtful, careful business plan only to have dreams and hopes shattered. We must have a better system of appeal or a follow-up educational program to indicate to those men and women where they may be a little in error in their planning. This is another shortcoming.
Of all federal government programs of which I am personally aware and have some understanding of their use and value, this community futures program is far the best.