Speech (House debate)

{
    "time": "2009-06-16 18:10:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Mr. Rick Dykstra (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, CPC)",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p data-HoCid=\"1558765\" data-originallang=\"en\">Mr. Speaker, I have been waiting patiently, but certainly looking forward to concluding my remarks on Bill <a data-HoCid=\"3628552\" href=\"/bills/40-2/C-309/\" title=\"An Act establishing the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Region of Northern Ontario\">C-309</a>, which proposes, at a significant cost to the taxpayer, to create a new federal agency, with its own deputy minister and bureaucracy, to administer economic development programs exclusively to northern Ontario. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1558766\" data-originallang=\"en\">If we are to make these kind of expenditures, I think it should be on the stimulus package and the efforts that have gone forward in this budget to help Canadians versus to build a larger bureaucracy.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1558767\" data-originallang=\"en\">Nonetheless, to summarize, in addition to some of the initiatives that I had mentioned previously, the FedNor organization today administers two very important programs that directly benefit northern Ontario: the northern Ontario development program, which is the program that represents the organization's original mandate to serve these areas; as well as the community futures program. These programs serve as a foundation of FedNor's holistic and highly successful approach to community economic development. Unfortunately, the organization's evolution, which I have tried to capture in my comments, has led to confusion about FedNor's role and responsibilities.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1558768\" data-originallang=\"en\">Please allow me to clarify.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1558769\" data-originallang=\"en\">Because of its original mandate to serve northern Ontario exclusively, some have been led to believe that FedNor funding aimed at northern Ontario is somehow flowing south. Nothing could be further from the truth.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1558770\" data-originallang=\"en\">What is important to understand is that what used to be referred to as the FedNor program has now become the northern Ontario development program. Through this program, FedNor, the organization itself, funds economic developments exclusively in northern Ontario. Even though FedNor has grown and some programs have involved delivering provide-wide funding, each of these programs, including the northern Ontario development program, has its own distinct budget.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1558771\" data-originallang=\"en\">In fact, the northern Ontario development program and its budget has steadily increased over the years. Today, it is much larger than it was when FedNor started assuming responsibility for the other two programs. This means that funds destined for northern Ontario are not flowing south, contrary to what is being claimed by some members in opposition.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1558772\" data-originallang=\"en\">Let me be clear. Even though the organization has received increased responsibilities over the years, these have not detracted from FedNor's focus on northern Ontario. Bill <a data-HoCid=\"3628552\" href=\"/bills/40-2/C-309/\" title=\"An Act establishing the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Region of Northern Ontario\">C-309</a>, in essence, aims to create an agency to do what FedNor is doing today through its northern Ontario development program. However, as it stands, the bill would effectively turn back the clock on the progress made by FedNor. The bill, as written, would remove the flexibility that has helped make FedNor so valuable to the people it serves.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1558773\" data-originallang=\"en\">Recently the Government of Canada announced Canada's economic action plan, which will provide much needed support for businesses, industry and all Canadians during economic slowdown. As part of that plan, FedNor will be administering northern Ontario's share of the $1 billion, over two years, allocated to the new nationwide community adjustment fund. FedNor's flexibility to deliver this type of programming is what makes the organization so effective.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1558774\" data-originallang=\"en\">I should also note that delivering additional programs like the community futures program and the community adjustment fund actually creates jobs in northern Ontario. By delivering these initiatives through an established organization like FedNor, instead of creating new layers of bureaucracy, the Government of Canada and all citizens benefit from important cost savings.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1558775\" data-originallang=\"en\">The clients of the community futures program and other FedNor-delivered initiatives also benefit by drawing on FedNor's substantial program delivery expertise and recognized sound management practices. The potential severing of the community futures program, which supports 24 community futures organizations across northern Ontario, would have a particularly negative impact on northern residents. FedNor has established long-term relationships with hundreds of community futures staff and volunteers who serve on these boards. These relationships have been built over many years and have created strong bonds between the federal government and community stakeholders.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1558776\" data-originallang=\"en\">Let me illustrate this by making a point. At last year's Ontario Association Community Futures Development Corporations annual conference, prior to the minister's keynote address, the board chair told the 250 delegates in the room that, \u201cNot only does FedNor enable access to the funding which fuels the efforts of our respective organizations, but it's the ongoing management of the program and the advice they give us combine to give us a serious strategic advantage\u201d.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1558777\" data-originallang=\"en\">In short, Bill <a data-HoCid=\"3628552\" href=\"/bills/40-2/C-309/\" title=\"An Act establishing the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Region of Northern Ontario\">C-309</a> aims to create a new entity to what FedNor already does, through the northern Ontario development program, yet it would limit the capacity of FedNor to contribute to other economic development initiatives in northern and rural Ontario.</p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"1558765\" data-originallang=\"en\">Monsieur le Pr\u00e9sident, j\u2019ai attendu patiemment, mais j\u2019ai h\u00e2te de conclure mes observations au sujet du projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"3628552\" href=\"/bills/40-2/C-309/\" title=\"An Act establishing the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Region of Northern Ontario\">C-309</a> qui propose de cr\u00e9er, moyennant une d\u00e9pense importante pour le contribuable, une nouvelle agence f\u00e9d\u00e9rale ayant son propre sous-ministre et sa propre bureaucratie, pour administrer des programmes de d\u00e9veloppement \u00e9conomique \u00e0 l\u2019usage exclusif du Nord de l\u2019Ontario.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1558766\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Si nous faisons ce genre de d\u00e9pense, j\u2019estime que ce devrait \u00eatre pour le plan de relance et les efforts qui ont \u00e9t\u00e9 pr\u00e9vus dans le budget pour aider les Canadiens plut\u00f4t que pour \u00e9difier une bureaucratie encore plus importante.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1558767\" data-originallang=\"en\"> N\u00e9anmoins, pour r\u00e9sumer, en plus de certaines des initiatives que j\u2019ai d\u00e9j\u00e0 mentionn\u00e9es, FedNor administre aujourd\u2019hui deux programmes tr\u00e8s importants dont le Nord de l\u2019Ontario b\u00e9n\u00e9ficie directement: le Programme de d\u00e9veloppement du Nord de l\u2019Ontario, qui repr\u00e9sente le mandat initial de cet organisme qui est de desservir cette r\u00e9gion, ainsi que le Programme de d\u00e9veloppement des collectivit\u00e9s. Ces programmes sont \u00e0 la base de l\u2019approche globale et couronn\u00e9e de succ\u00e8s que FedNor a adopt\u00e9e pour assurer le d\u00e9veloppement \u00e9conomique des collectivit\u00e9s. Malheureusement, la fa\u00e7on dont cet organisme a \u00e9volu\u00e9, et que j\u2019ai essay\u00e9 de d\u00e9crire, a suscit\u00e9 la confusion au sujet du r\u00f4le et des responsabilit\u00e9s de FedNor.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1558768\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Permettez-moi de les pr\u00e9ciser.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1558769\" data-originallang=\"en\"> \u00c9tant donn\u00e9 qu\u2019au d\u00e9part FedNor avait uniquement pour mandat de desservir le Nord de l\u2019Ontario, certains ont cru que le financement destin\u00e9 au Nord de la province \u00e9tait dirig\u00e9 vers le Sud. Rien ne saurait \u00eatre plus loin de la v\u00e9rit\u00e9.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1558770\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Il est important de comprendre que ce que l\u2019on appelait le programme FedNor est devenu le Programme de d\u00e9veloppement du Nord de l\u2019Ontario. Dans le cadre de ce programme, FedNor finance exclusivement le d\u00e9veloppement \u00e9conomique du Nord de l\u2019Ontario. M\u00eame si FedNor a pris de l\u2019expansion et si certains programmes apportent un financement \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9chelle de la province, chacun de ces programmes, y compris le Programme de d\u00e9veloppement du Nord de l\u2019Ontario, a son budget particulier.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1558771\" data-originallang=\"en\"> En fait, le Programme de d\u00e9veloppement du Nord de l\u2019Ontario a son propre budget qui a augment\u00e9 r\u00e9guli\u00e8rement au cours des ann\u00e9es. Il est actuellement beaucoup plus \u00e9lev\u00e9 qu\u2019il ne l\u2019\u00e9tait quand FedNor a commenc\u00e9 \u00e0 assumer la responsabilit\u00e9 de deux autres programmes. Cela veut dire que les fonds destin\u00e9s au Nord de l\u2019Ontario ne vont pas vers le Sud, contrairement \u00e0 ce que pr\u00e9tendent certains d\u00e9put\u00e9s de l\u2019opposition.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1558772\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Que ce soit bien clair. M\u00eame si cet organisme a vu ses responsabilit\u00e9s augmenter au cours des ann\u00e9es, elles ne l\u2019ont pas emp\u00each\u00e9 de centrer son attention sur le Nord de l\u2019Ontario. Le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"3628552\" href=\"/bills/40-2/C-309/\" title=\"An Act establishing the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Region of Northern Ontario\">C-309</a> vise avant tout \u00e0 cr\u00e9er un organisme qui fait ce que FedNor fait d\u00e9j\u00e0 aujourd\u2019hui dans le cadre de son Programme de d\u00e9veloppement du Nord de l\u2019Ontario. Toutefois, tel qu\u2019il se pr\u00e9sente, le projet de loi aurait pour effet d\u2019annuler les progr\u00e8s r\u00e9alis\u00e9s par FedNor. Il enl\u00e8verait \u00e0 FedNor la marge de manoeuvre qui lui a permis de jouer un r\u00f4le tr\u00e8s utile pour la population qu\u2019il dessert.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1558773\" data-originallang=\"en\"> R\u00e9cemment, le gouvernement du Canada a annonc\u00e9 son Plan d\u2019action \u00e9conomique qui va apporter aux entreprises, \u00e0 l\u2019industrie et \u00e0 tous les Canadiens l\u2019aide dont ils ont grand besoin en p\u00e9riode de ralentissement \u00e9conomique. Dans le cadre de ce plan, FedNor va administrer la part qui revient au Nord de l\u2019Ontario du montant de 1 milliard de dollars attribu\u00e9, sur deux ans, au nouveau fonds d\u2019adaptation des collectivit\u00e9s. C\u2019est la latitude dont dispose FedNor pour mettre en oeuvre ce genre de programmes qui rend cet organisme aussi efficace.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1558774\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Je dois \u00e9galement mentionner que la mise en oeuvre de programmes suppl\u00e9mentaires comme le Programme de d\u00e9veloppement des collectivit\u00e9s et le Fonds d\u2019adaptation des collectivit\u00e9s cr\u00e9e des emplois dans le Nord de l\u2019Ontario. En confiant ces initiatives \u00e0 un organisme bien \u00e9tabli comme FedNor au lieu de cr\u00e9er des nouvelles couches de bureaucratie, le gouvernement du Canada et tous les citoyens b\u00e9n\u00e9ficient d\u2019\u00e9conomies importantes.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1558775\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Les clients du Programme de d\u00e9veloppement des collectivit\u00e9s et des autres initiatives mises en oeuvre par FedNor peuvent \u00e9galement b\u00e9n\u00e9ficier de l\u2019expertise que poss\u00e8de FedNor dans le domaine de la mise en oeuvre des programmes et de ses bonnes pratiques de gestion. Si le Programme de d\u00e9veloppement des collectivit\u00e9s, qui soutient 24 organismes de d\u00e9veloppement des collectivit\u00e9s du Nord de l\u2019Ontario, \u00e9tait divis\u00e9, cela aurait des r\u00e9percussions particuli\u00e8rement n\u00e9gatives pour les r\u00e9sidants du Nord. FedNor a \u00e9tabli des relations \u00e0 long terme avec les centaines d\u2019employ\u00e9s et de b\u00e9n\u00e9voles qui travaillent pour les soci\u00e9t\u00e9s d\u2019aide au d\u00e9veloppement des collectivit\u00e9s. Ces relations ont \u00e9t\u00e9 \u00e9tablies au cours d\u2019un grand nombre d\u2019ann\u00e9es et ont cr\u00e9\u00e9 des liens solides entre le gouvernement f\u00e9d\u00e9ral et les intervenants des collectivit\u00e9s.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1558776\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Permettez-moi de vous en donner un exemple. L\u2019ann\u00e9e derni\u00e8re, \u00e0 la conf\u00e9rence annuelle de l\u2019Association ontarienne des soci\u00e9t\u00e9s d\u2019aide au d\u00e9veloppement des collectivit\u00e9s, avant le discours du ministre, voici ce qu'a d\u00e9clar\u00e9 le pr\u00e9sident du conseil d\u2019administration aux 250 d\u00e9l\u00e9gu\u00e9s pr\u00e9sents dans la salle: \u00ab Non seulement FedNor permet d\u2019avoir acc\u00e8s au financement qui alimente les efforts de nos organismes respectifs, mais la gestion du programme et les conseils qu\u2019elle nous donne nous apportent un avantage strat\u00e9gique important. \u00bb</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1558777\" data-originallang=\"en\"> En r\u00e9sum\u00e9, le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"3628552\" href=\"/bills/40-2/C-309/\" title=\"An Act establishing the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Region of Northern Ontario\">C-309</a> vise \u00e0 cr\u00e9er une nouvelle entit\u00e9 pour faire ce que FedNor fait d\u00e9j\u00e0, par l\u2019entremise du Programme de d\u00e9veloppement du Nord de l\u2019Ontario, mais il limiterait la capacit\u00e9 de FedNor de contribuer aux autres initiatives de d\u00e9veloppement \u00e9conomique dans le Nord et dans les r\u00e9gions rurales de l\u2019Ontario.</p>"
    },
    "url": "/debates/2009/6/16/rick-dykstra-1/",
    "politician_url": "/politicians/rick-dykstra/",
    "politician_membership_url": "/politicians/memberships/404/",
    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "2842273",
    "h1": {
        "en": "Private Members' Business",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "h2": {
        "en": "Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Region of Northern Ontario Act",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "document_url": "/debates/2009/6/16/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fdebates%2F2009%2F6%2F16%2F"
    }
}