"When we asked questions about this in the House of Assembly earlier this Spring, the minister said they were reviewing all options with the federal government and indicated that their representation was being well received," said Mr. Grimes. "Leaked documents from the Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development show that no agreement has been signed and there is no indication if any discussions have taken place. What representation has been made?

"I want to know if this government did indeed explore all the options to secure a new program. This type of program can leverage a huge amount of money from both the federal government, the private sector and volunteer groups. With recent cutbacks in the budget to the provincial portion of the program, I fear this is another area where this government has missed opportunities to grow the economy of rural areas of this province."

The recently leaked internal documents from department officials noted that the absence of such an agreement would have a very negative impact on non-profit organizations and other development groups in rural Newfoundland and Labrador. The documents state that the provincial government must put money back into the program or watch development groups in rural areas of the province disappear.