Debates of May 11th, 2015

Employment

[Scott Armstrong, Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester—Musquodoboit Valley, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the focus of our plan is more trade, tax cuts, and better training. In Canada today, we have a mismatch. We have literally thousands and thousands of Canadians who currently cannot find work, but we also have employers from coast to coast to coast that cannot find employees with the skills they need for the jobs they have now. That is why we are making huge changes in the structure of our training to make sure people get trained with the skills they need to take the jobs that exist.

This is why we are investing in things like the Canada job grant and bringing more employers' skin into the game so that there will be a job at the end of someone's training. Those are the practical and pragmatic steps we are taking to make sure that we provide opportunities for young people to get not only the jobs that exist today but the jobs that will exist tomorrow.

We need over a million new workers in this country over the next 10 years. We are putting the processes, the training, the tax cuts, and the trade balance in place to make sure we capture that.

Regional Economic Development

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be here today to remind the House that on March 9, I asked the Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec why the Conservative government hijacked the mission of the Economic Development Agency of Canada, which is to promote job creation in our regions.

Currently, nearly 99% of the money that goes unspent is returned to the consolidated revenue fund. Instead of using that money for subsequent years, the government returns it to the consolidated revenue fund. The money is diverted from its purpose, which is to support economic development in the regions, such as the region of Drummond, which I represent.

That would encourage job creation in our regions. The money could have been used to improve facilities, such as the Drummondville airport, a place that could do with some improvement. The Drummond region is lucky to have some exciting economic organizations that work very hard and are very dynamic. For example, we have the Société de développement économique de Drummondville, the Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Drummond, and Commerce Drummond, all of which are doing amazing work in our region and support the Drummondville airport expansion.

The runway has to be lengthened from 4,000 feet to 6,000 feet so that we can continue to attract investments and simulate job creation in Drummond. The people of Drummond are waiting for a response from the federal government and from the Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec regarding their request to lengthen the Drummond airport runway and to improve the facilities there, which have aged over time. We expect a response from the minister, and we hope that he will not wait until the election campaign to make an announcement with a big photo op in Drummond. I hope the minister will do his job and make this announcement soon, before the election.

The City of Drummondville and the Drummondville economic development authority should be very proud of themselves. They have worked very hard to make the Drummondville airport more democratic and more accessible to everyone. Last year they organized an event called “Passion Avion” that opened up the airport's facilities to everyone for an entire day. People could take tours of the aircraft and go skydiving. There was an exhibit on vintage planes. The Drummondville air cadets, Drummond tourism and the City of Drummondville all had kiosks set up, and so on.

We were very proud of the “Passion Avion” event, which is being put on again this year as part of the many activities organized to celebrate Drummondville's 200th anniversary. It will be a magnificent event again this year. This time it will be held over two days, on August 29 and 30. I invite all aviation enthusiasts to attend. There will be two days of air shows at the Drummondville airport. I invite all aviation enthusiasts to come visit our beautiful city, Drummondville, during its 200th anniversary.

Of course, I hope that in 2015, the Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec will announce that he is going to stop reducing and diverting money from the Economic Development Agency and will instead invest it in Drummond's facilities, such as the Drummondville airport. I hope to get an answer from my colleague here today.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, our government is aware of the challenges faced by Quebec regions.

My colleague's question gives me an opportunity to remind him that the mandate of Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions is to support the economic growth of all Quebec regions, and every effort is made to do just that.

I would like to provide the House with a few figures that illustrate the activities of Canada Economic Development since 2006: 5,511 projects funded, more than $2.5 billion in contributions approved and nearly $10 billion in total investments.

I would like to point out that my colleague and his party have always opposed these projects. Canada Economic Development's approach is tailored to the challenges faced by businesses and the regions to help them fully participate in the economy while building on their assets.

Our efforts have fostered entrepreneurship, business productivity, exports, trade and innovation throughout Quebec. Through its 12 business offices, Canada Economic Development has a presence strongly rooted in all regions of Quebec. Proponents are supported in their development efforts and their search for funding.

Canada Economic Development is still the Government of Canada's main economic representative in Quebec. Canada Economic Development carefully manages the public money with which it is entrusted.

In fact, it maximizes the use of the funds at its disposal, which means that Canada Economic Development may carry over funds to subsequent years, in order to adapt to the pace of developers.

As part of its Quebec economic development program, Canada Economic Development also helps strengthen the economy in communities and regions that are struggling with economic development issues, through targeted, specific support.

Canada Economic Development continues to support communities with the Canadian initiative for the economic diversification of communities reliant on chrysotile, launched in June 2013, which will receive $50 million over seven years. To date, 22 projects have been funded and $10.7 million in contributions have been approved, for a total of $34 million in investments.

The team works on the ground with developers to help them in their development and diversification activities and to ensure that all of the funds are granted and that they are put to the best possible use over the course of the initiative.

After the disaster in Lac-Mégantic in July 2013, we quickly launched the economic recovery initiative for Lac-Mégantic, with a $35 million envelope over seven years.

The envelope is divided as follows: reconstruction assistance of up to $20 million; direct assistance to companies and not-for-profit corporations of up to $10 million; and assistance in the form of two investment funds of up to $5 million, managed by the Société d’aide au développement de la collectivité de la région de Mégantic.

To date, 17 projects have received funding and over $15 million in contributions has been approved, for a total investment of nearly $35 million.

The team responsible for implementing this initiative is on the ground and will continue to support stakeholders' efforts to stimulate the economy in the coming years in order to ensure that all of the funding for this seven-year initiative is used as effectively as possible.

These are just a few examples of how the measures being taken by Canada Economic Development are well suited to Quebec's economic realities and how they contribute to business development and the vitality of all Quebec communities.

I would like to come back to how we are using the funding we have been allocated judiciously. By way of example, in 2013-14, Canada Economic Development's budget was nearly $308 million. The organization's actual expenditures for that same year were approximately $269 million.

Nearly $37 million was rolled over for use in subsequent years in order to meet future needs. Of that amount, $34.2 million was rolled over for later use in order to adjust to the pace of the economic recovery and the efforts to rebuild Lac-Mégantic's downtown. Since this initiative will be implemented over a period of seven years, the rollover of funding will be adjusted accordingly.

That means that 99.5% of the total budget for 2013-14 was and will be used.

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague was absolutely right when he said that the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec is very important. It is vital to the development of our regions and to job creation.

However, it is scandalous that $131 million from the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec's budget was returned to the consolidated revenue fund. That $131 million could have been used to support the regions of Quebec, including Drummond, and to create jobs there. However, since the Conservatives did a poor job of managing the economy and their finances, they had to put that money back into the consolidated revenue fund to pay down their deficit.

We think that the Conservatives' strategy to pay down their deficit and hide their poor performance on the economy and job creation is unacceptable. As my colleague said, it was important for that money to be put to good use for job creation and our regions. That is not what happened.

In Drummond, supporting economic players is important. For example, we have great plans to expand and modernize the Drummondville airport, and all of the economic stakeholders are ready to participate. We want respect for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, and we want that money to be channelled into our regions.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, since its inception, the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec has always supported economic growth in all regions of Quebec, and it will continue to do so. That is part of its mandate.

I would also like to share with my colleague an overview of what the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec has achieved since 2006. It has funded 5,511 projects and has provided more than $2.5 billion in approved contributions, with a total of nearly $10 billion in planned investments.

The Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec has allocated nearly $1.5 billion in funding for the period from 2011 to 2014. Of that amount, 98% was invested by the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec based on community needs and its ability to invest. The funds carried over are primarily from projects whose scope or timeline was below the forecast, projects that extend over several years. This is called respecting the capacity of the regions and listening to the proponents on the ground.

The Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec is always open to projects that support the economy, prosperity and jobs. Those are the projects that improve the lives of Canadians.

We committed to engaging in strong, sound, smart and consistent fiscal management, and we will continue to deliver on that.

[The Acting Speaker, Bruce Stanton]

The motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly, this House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

(The House adjourned at 7:05 p.m.)