Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance.
The Corporations de développement économique et communautaire de Montréal, or CDECs, are funded by Ottawa, Quebec and municipal governments. While the provincial and municipal governments have committed themselves to funding the corporations for the next three years, the Minister of Human Resources Development will only guarantee funding for six months. After this date, the department will no longer be responsible for funding CDECs.
My question is the following: Are we to understand that, after hitting the economy of Montreal so hard in the last budget, the federal government will also refuse to commit to funding these frontline economic development organizations for more than six months?