Madam Speaker, my very hon. colleague across the way talked about how well the government is undertaking programs, basically patronage and grants and so on, in P.E.I.
When I was a young fellow about 16 years old I left Nova Scotia because basically there were no jobs. I joined the military. I thought that was the only way that a lot of us down there at the time could get jobs. In those days a lot of young fellows went to Toronto to get work. Today they seem to be going even further west to British Columbia.
When I went to Nova Scotia this summer, as I do from time to time, it was almost 30 years to the month when I left. I was back talking to some young people in Nova Scotia who were very discouraged and who saw no real job proposals on the line. It reminded me of the situation I was in in my younger years.
Government after government over the last 30 years, Liberal and Conservative, have consistently bragged about how well they have done in Atlantic Canada creating jobs, when in fact the unemployment situation down there is no better than it was 30 years ago. To stand in the House today and say that our government is doing a great job, our government is dealing with this situation through a series of grants, subsidies and so on, I think the members across the way know that is probably really not the case.
I would like the hon. member to tell the House how and if he can relate to the situation I have described, whether or not these programs in the long term really have helped Atlantic Canada.