Wednesday, March 22, 1967
sign with the government of Canada to enable a massive introduction into the economy or Federal- Provincial finances. And the Leader of the Opposition has asked where is all the money going to come from? That is a very good question. New Brunswick, Mr. Speaker, has a program involving over one hundred million dollars. I think we will find that Nova Scotia’s program has three times as much. Quebec, for Gaspe, has two hundred and some millions of dollars. A lot of dollars! But we can perhaps see one way in which these programs become meaningful within the provinces. and I refer to the Northeast New Brunswick Federal-Provincial Rural Development agree- ment as an example. In the Northeastern section of New Brunswick for purposes of education, for purposes of technical and vocational training, the federal government 1 will be spending 22.9 millions of dollars. We feel that our overall education program
should not be fully determined now until the full scope and range of the federal programs available are known to us and until we know how the federal programs can work with the provincial program to the greatest benefit of all here in the province. We see for example, two and one-half million dollars being spent by the federal government in a pilot training project. We can see 2.7 million dollars paid by the federal government in operating costs for adult education. 6.6 millions of dollars in a technical and vocational program. Five million dollars for education, schools, in- cluding vocational high schools. We would hope that this will be broad enough to help us develop an overall educational program in the province. This is one example, Mr. Speaker, where Ottawa is paying somewhere between ninety and one hundred per- cent of the cost. There are suggestions left with the public that Ottawa is getting out of the program, is withdrawing from the program. We don’t deny this in many respects. We don't deny that the vocational training agreement, which was an agree~ ment of five years, is coming to an end, or has come to an end. We don’t deny that several other programs which were entered into under agreements of a specified time-limit are also going to come to an end. But what encourages us, Mr. Speaker, at this time is that the federal government has taken a very enlightened attitude with respect to the needs of the Atlantic Provinces, an attitude which enables the Atlantic Provinces, with a minimum amount of money, to participate in large comprehensive development programs. And this will involve the federal government in a combined program of ABBA, FRED, Manpower, CMHC, and many other programs including ADA and the Atlantic Development Board.
We need men with us when we are negotiating these terms, Mr. Speaker, who know their way around the negotiating tables. We will be inviting the Leader of the Opposition and his supporters as well to give us all the support that we can muster to work out the most favourable terms for this province. If we are called upon to donate ten percent of the cost of the program, one hundred million dollars will result in a total expenditure on our part of ten million. if my arithmetic is correct. Or ten million will result in the expenditure of one hundred million. And ten million over a five year period would be about two million dollars a year. Now this is not easy money to find, Mr. Speaker, but I am certain that with the guidance given this government by our Provincial Treasurer, and with the assistance of our senior citizens who will return those questionnaires, one at a time, $120.00 some dollars coming in every time a form arrives, we will get the money together to get this
program going.
I referred to the off-shore mineral deposits, Mr. Speaker, and in a few words I can just suggest to this House that this Government has taken the view that it is to the advantage of Prince Edward Island that the mineral rights, that the ore deposits, that the oil deposits or whatever may lie under the coastal waters of Prince Edward Island be found to be owned by the province. This is why we support the British Columbia brief, and this is why we have indicated our support for the British Columbia brief. The Supreme Court will have the decision and if they find in favour of British Columbia, then the courts at the same time finds in favour of provincial ownership of off-short mineral deposits. If, on the other hand, the Supreme Court of Canada finds that the Government of Canada owns these resources then we as a province together with the other provinces must meet with the federal government and work out terms under which Prince Edward Island will get its fair share of whatever may be under our soils or under our adjoining waters.
I think, Mr. Speaker, that in the area of highways that through Federal- Proviacial programs over the last ten years, seven years, five years, we have been
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