Mr. Speaker, further to my question to the minister of agriculture, rural Canada's concerns must be kept in the forefront and must remain a priority for this federal government. This week's budget takes great strides down that road.
I was very pleased to see the finance minister's emphasis on programs and investments that will work for rural Canadians. These budget measures will directly impact my riding of Parry Sound-Muskoka and will help businesses in my riding to create jobs.
In addition to the renewed commitment to a federal infrastructure job creation program which has been very beneficial in my riding, I point to the $15 million annual increase over three years for the Canadian Tourism Commission, and the $50 million investment in the Business Development Bank of Canada. This will lever another $250 million in loans for the creation of tourism infrastructure in rural areas.
I single out the $50 million investment to the Farm Credit Corporation to be used for rural development and the $30 million to expand the community access program to ensure that virtually all rural communities are linked to the Internet.
This is support upon which we can build. This is support that is right in line with what constituents across Canada were asking for when we took testimony as part of the natural resources committee's rural development study.
Those of us from rural areas have identified several priorities that need to be addressed in order to enhance economic development in the rural areas of our country. Some of these the budget has dealt with. I am sure the constituents in rural Canada will applaud the government's initiatives on these rural issues.
The Prime Minister himself made a firm commitment to tackle the unique needs of rural Canadians on behalf of all of us who live in rural areas. Four ministers were charged with the rural development portfolio and my committee has helped lead the way.
We set about detailing the challenges of rural Canada, the lack of formal education for some of those or the lack of access to education in high technology fields where the jobs are for others.
We looked at partnerships between the public and private sectors to better meet the needs of business operators in rural areas so that they would be better able to overcome the disadvantages of distance, geography, low population densities and so that we could enhance investment opportunities and expand our information base.
We looked at ways to enhance the benefits of value adding in our natural resources sector. We looked at restrictive regulatory regimes and how they could be eliminated. We looked at how to eliminate duplication and the need to have increased tax incentives for investment.
Investment in innovative technologies and initiatives that will ensure that virtually all rural communities have access to the Internet and that build upon our efforts to date will go a long way to giving those of us who live in rural Canada the support we need to compete in an urban oriented world.
Further elaboration on planned or existing initiatives will help constituents in my riding understand and therefore benefit from federal commitments today.