Room for improvement
Economic development funds remain at reduced levels established by the previous government
While I don’t entirely reject the thrust of Alan Holman’s recent column, ‘The Maritimes have never been weaker,’ there are a number of points upon which we disagree.
I don’t accept the proposition that no longer having regional ministers for economic development agencies makes us weaker or disadvantaged. As a former provincial minister of economic development, I have dealt with Liberal and Conservative regional ministers. Too many of them were narrow and parochial in their outlook. Too often they used their position for the benefit of their own riding or province without any real concern for the region as a whole.
There were exceptions. Our own Joe McGuire, a Liberal, and John Crosbie, a Progressive Conservative, were both fair and even-handed during their tenure. Our current minister, Navdeep Bains, has been a great asset in furthering regional economic development. My conversations with him have shown that he clearly understands the issues I bring forward and he is always helpful. The fact that he is from outside our region has not affected how ACOA supports and delivers funding to projects in my rural riding.
But I must add that I do believe Atlantic Canadians are disadvantaged in terms of targeted funding. Since October 2015, there have been two major federal programs aimed specifically at Atlantic Canada. There’s the recently announced Atlantic Fisheries Fund, intended to improve the fisheries and seafood sector, and the Atlantic Growth Strategy, created to promote economic growth and immigration. While these are worthy programs, economic development funds remain at reduced levels established by the previous government.
The policies of Mr. Harper were soundly rejected by Atlantic Canadians two years ago. The Liberal Party won all 32 seats in the region by promising to undo the damage implemented by a party that felt Eastern Canadians were undeserving of help. In 2011, Harper’s Conservatives slashed ACOA’s budget and continued to cut it every year until the fall of his government. Between 2011 and 2015, the total reduction in funding was roughly $107 million dollars. And while our government has increased investment in Atlantic Canada, less than a tenth of what Mr. Harper cut has been restored.
I am confident that the appointment of Francis McGuire as president of ACOA is a sign that things are going to change. Mr. McGuire has experience in the federal government, was a senior bureaucrat in Frank McKenna’s New Brunswick government, and has recently retired from the private sector as the president of a major Maritime company. He will be able to go toe to toe with any deputy minister in Ottawa.
In closing, I would say things are not as bad as Mr. Holman assumes, but there is definite room for improvement.