新的200个工作岗位

[SIZE="3"][B]The Liberal government has approved almost $10 million in funding through the Acadian Peninsula Economic Development Fund since taking office, much of it on projects that resulted in few, if any, jobs.

Take, for example, the $45,000 handed out for an exposition on Acadian fishing, or the $25,000 shelled out for the Tabusintac Regional Golf and Country Club to buy two special lawn mowers.

Total jobs created: zero.

In all, the Grits have doled out $9.95 million from the fund since October 2006. That cash was spread over 155 projects, but was expected to create only 213 permanent jobs and 14 seasonal positions.

The Conservative Opposition argues the dollar amount is a poor use of taxpayers' money - considering the few new jobs actually generated.

In fact, of the 155 approved projects, 117 had no direct jobs attached, government documents reveal.

Those documents also show the funding spanned a range of activities across the Peninsula.

Among the disbursements, $25,000 was approved to study the prospect of a new bike path; $45,000 was used to expand a parasurfing company in Petite Lamèque; $80,000 was allotted for upgrades at Tabusintac Cottages Inc.; and $25,000 was handed out to improve a campground in Lamèque.

Meanwhile, $11,000 was spent to host VIPs for a promotional night at the Village Historique Acadien in Caraquet.

Acadie Presse, which prints the L'Acadie Nouvelle newspaper and other publications, was given $200,000 to install a new printing press, creating three jobs. An additional $250,000 was handed out to redesign L'Acadie Nouvelle's website.

As well, $200,000 was given to film the Radio-Canada program Belle Baie on the Peninsula. And $10,000 was used to study the possibility of building the equivalent of an Olympic Village for the 2009 World Acadian Congress.

The town of Caraquet has received about $1.2 million from the fund since 2006.

That included $60,000 for a consulting firm to study the possibility of building an Acadian museum, as well as $600,000 for an industrial park, $219,000 to complete a trail and visitor centre, $65,000 for local infrastructure, and $28,000 to preserve a historic building.

According to government figures, not one of the 10 Caraquet projects is expected to create a single permanent job.

Conservative Paul Robichaud said that's a major problem.

"That money was supposed to generate jobs," he said. "The best way to stimulate the economy is to create employment. It's not a lot of job creation for the amount of money spent.

"It's obvious this government doesn't have a real vision for the economic development of rural areas," the Shippagan area MLA said.

Victor Boudreau, the minister in charge of the Acadian Peninsula fund, defended the various investments.

"Two hundred or so jobs might not sound like a whole lot to an urban area, but for the Acadian Peninsula it means a lot more," he said. "Those are jobs that have helped diversify the local economy and keep people employed."

Job creation is just one aspect of the fund's mandate, Boudreau said.

It also aims to fund projects involving education, training, research and development and new infrastructure, he said.

Boudreau noted that the Acadian Peninsula fund, which is run through the province's Regional Development Corporation, was actually launched in 1999 by the former Conservative government.

According to the government's website, it was created to deal with the "long standing socio-economic problems on the Acadian Peninsula."

The fund, along with similar programs created in 2003 and 2004 for the Restigouche-Chaleur and Miramichi regions, is set to expire at the end of April.

Boudreau, who also serves as the province's finance minister, said he is now deciding whether to keep or scrap the funds.

"These have definitely been worthwhile funds in the past," said the Shediac area MLA. "Sometimes government has to step up to the plate to make opportunity happen."

By the time they expire in April, the three funds will have doled out a total of $105 million, Boudreau said. Of that amount, $50 million was delivered through the Acadian Peninsula fund.

Other spending highlights from the fund since October 2006 include:

*"‚$288,000 to improve exhibits and build a new pool at the Aquarium and Marine Centre in Shippagan, with no jobs created.

*"‚A total of $328,000 for Everest Plastik Inc., a Tracadie-Sheila plastics company, to fund expansion and new equipment costs. A total of 38 new jobs are expected.

*"‚$250,000 for FPM Peat Moss Company Ltd. to purchase new equipment and create 18 jobs.

*"‚$200,000 for Studio Cojak Inc., which rents studio space, cameras and sound equipment, to purchase high-definition studio equipment. The funding is scheduled to create 14 jobs.[/B][/SIZE]