Mr. Speaker, I will tell the hon. member what we did in Atlantic Canada over the past six years.
In 2000, the Liberal government launched the Atlantic investment partnership, a $700 million investment to support economic development in Atlantic Canada. In addition, $708 million was added to the last Liberal budget, building on the recognized success of the first phase. In the past six years remarkable success has been made. The region has more R and D activity, more opportunities in rural communities, more exports, more foreign investment and more skilled entrepreneurs.
Why does the government not commit itself to the Atlantic investment fund instead of one-way tickets for Atlantic Canadians out of the region?