Mr. Speaker, service groups, not-for-profits and small businesses in northern Ontario are taking stock of the local initiatives program that has been pulled out from under them. This program was about putting small communities on the map and spurring economic development.
Cuts to Atikokan tourism and the Heart of the Continent Partnership are just two examples of where these cuts will be felt in my riding.
Why is the government cutting back on local economic development initiatives at a time when they are needed the most? I know the minister believes he should not be cutting this, otherwise all I can surmise is that the government does not care about northern Ontario.