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Liberal Opposition Leader Gerry Reid is taking exception to a Conference
Board of Canada report that skirts this province and recommends Halifax be
the "hub city" for Atlantic Canada with access to government economic
development funding. The report released this month by the independent
not_for_profit Conference Board of Canada entitled Canada’s Hub Cities: A
Driving Force of the National Economy recommends that government should
strategically concentrate new funding to meet the investment needs of hub
cities _ thereby boosting economies regionally and nationwide. The report
identifies eight metropolitan areas that would function as hub cities for
their provinces _ Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg,
Toronto and Montreal. A ninth metropolitan area _ Halifax _ was targeted to
serve as a hub city for the entire Atlantic region.
"The provincial government has yet to publically respond to this report
prepared for the very influential Conference Board of Canada. I am, however,
concerned with this central Canadian attitude that Halifax is viewed as the
capital of Atlantic Canada and we are thus set to always be an economic
follower and never a leader. The provincial government should at the very
least be making a strong case against this kind of thinking which sees one
centre for Atlantic Canada," states Reid. "How can helping Halifax reach its
potential be a "win-win game", as the Board purports, for our province
especially for our rural areas which are now in dire need of economic
investment?
The Liberal Leader suspects the provincial government may be in a bit of
a difficult position in speaking out against this viewpoint because at the
provincial level they have advocated the idea of "hubs" or "growth centers".
"If they are on record advocating for economic hubs in this province as an
economic strategy, then certainly it would appear inconsistent to oppose
such a proposal at the national level."
"While the concept that Canadian cities are not receiving the investments
they need is one worth examining, I have an issue when this province’s
investment needs are overlooked and we are expected to ride on the
coat_tails of Halifax. This kind of proposal needs to be strongly challenged
by our provincial government and our premier so that it never becomes
official government policy. They have a responsibility to be at the
forefront of the drive to promote our entire province as a growth centre
that contributes to national prosperity."
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