Madam Speaker, I apologize for having gotten ahead of myself with the amendments in Group No. 3. It is just another case of the PC Party being ahead of its time.
Clearly there are issues of fairness that have to be dealt with, and these amendments are a step in the right direction.
Among the big picture items that have to be considered is, what is the plan the government has relative to future economic development opportunities for the people of Cape Breton? For far too long Devco provided a sense of comfort in an industry which really did not have the long term sustainable viability that would provide employment and economic opportunities well into the next century. Whenever there is a change of this magnitude it creates huge social and economic upheaval.
I would hope that we would take a serious look, not just in Cape Breton but throughout Atlantic Canada, at some of the examples of other countries which have utilized various levels of tax reform as vehicles for economic development.
Probably one of the greatest examples of innovative social policy combined with innovative fiscal policy to create greater levels of economic opportunity would be that of Ireland. If we compare Ireland 10 years ago to Atlantic Canada today, we could see some significant areas of comparison and opportunity. Over the past 10 years, because of innovative policies, Ireland has had 92% growth in its GDP per capita.
I believe in Cape Breton, in Nova Scotia and in Atlantic Canada, and I think we have to get a lot more innovative about how we address economic development issues in Atlantic Canada and other regions. I would hope that the government would work with the University College of Cape Breton, Jacquelyn Thayer-Scott and some of the other innovators in Cape Breton who are working to incubate some of the small IT companies in the new economy. With the death of distance as a determinant in the cost of telecommunications, we can see a stream of world leading IT companies coming out of Cape Breton into the 21st century. We need to work together to create an environment which will make that possible.