Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives may say that the economy is their priority and boast that the regions will also be their priority, but those are empty promises.
Budget 2013 confirms a 15% cut to funding for the Economic Development Agency for the Regions of Quebec.
The Minister of Transport himself was boasting recently about temporary initiatives put forward by his government. I have a little news flash for him. There is nothing in the budget to make up for the loss of many of these programs, which are very beneficial to communities in Quebec.
The Conservatives have already butchered employment insurance. Was it absolutely necessary to cut spending allocated to the economic development agency for the regions, which is so beneficial to them?