Mr. Speaker, let me begin by congratulating the hon. member for his new placement in the House of Commons. He must have done something politically brilliant to be so positioned, right behind his new leader.
In response to his concerns, our government remains committed to reducing regional disparities and ensuring that all Canadians benefit from a strong economy and the services that such an economy can provide.
The recent Speech from the Throne reasserted this commitment when it stated that the objective of the government is to ensure that every region of the country has the opportunity to move forward socially and economically on a rising tide of progress.
The Prime Minister was even more explicit in his response to the Speech from the Throne. He said:
We must ensure that...the hopes and dreams of Atlantic Canada, as reflected in the report “Rising Tide,” are realized.
Again, this week the Minister of Finance stated in his 2004 budget plan that “Rising Tide” would be our government's guide to building on the progress to date in diversifying the economy of Atlantic Canada.
The mandate of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency is to tackle the socio-economic challenges facing Atlantic Canada. It is within this context that ACOA helps communities and businesses overcome barriers and identifies new opportunities for growth. In other words, advancing the economic development of Atlantic Canada as reflected in the report “Rising Tide” is the policy of the Government of Canada.
When the deputy minister of ACOA speaks about ways to advance the Atlantic economy, as reflected in the report “Rising Tide”, she is doing no more and no less than what I have asked her to do. She is speaking out on government policy. To suggest otherwise is a disservice to a talented deputy minister, one of only two deputy ministers from the Atlantic region. I might add it is also a disservice to the people of Atlantic Canada.
Our government's vision is to strengthen and deepen the transformation that is already taking place in Atlantic Canada.
To talk about “Rising Tide” is to talk about the future of Atlantic Canada and about issues of concern to Atlantic Canadians, such as innovation; entrepreneurship; trade and investment; research and development; and community development.
The deputy minister's speech to a service organization was an opportunity for ACOA to highlight its future vision. That vision is contained in the “Rising Tide” policy document, a document that has been accepted by the Government of Canada and a document that is now being converted from words into action.
ACOA's approach recognizes the great opportunities inherent in the people and the communities of Atlantic Canada. It also recognizes the need for us to work in partnership with various stakeholders both within and outside Atlantic Canada.
My deputy minister is doing just that by bringing people together to build on existing strengths.