David Coon, MLA/Député

This is the preliminary Hansard transcript of oral questions, recorded in the language it was originally spoken.

Mr. Coon: Yesterday, we debated a motion on establishing a plan for rural and northern economic development. As I said during that debate, such a plan should focus on community economic development for rural New Brunswick and should do so in a way that integrates goals for social development. The problem is that we do not have a department that is responsible for community development. In its platform, the government promised to create locally led economic development agencies. Can the Premier tell this House when the locally led economic development agencies will be established?

Hon. Mr. Doucet: We are actively involved in rural New Brunswick, from the fisheries sector to the agriculture sector to the aquaculture sector. The industries are worth over $3 billion. If you add the forestry sector on to that, a tremendous amount of economic activity is taking place. I salute the member opposite for coming forward with some of his initiatives, including the work that he wants to do with some of the green jobs in the province and the things that we can do to uplift them. However, the member opposite comes in with a magic wand. He figures that we have an opportunity that we can just pour money into, but he does not like any type of incentives
going out there. I would like to talk about rural New Brunswick. A lot of activity is going on. Take the farming
industry as an example. Of our footprint in the province, 5% is taken up by farmland. This represents about $1.6 billion of our GDP.

Mr. Speaker: Time, minister.

Mr. Coon: One of the things that is necessary is to create the conditions for growth in rural New Brunswick. That is one of the things with which economic development agencies could potentially assist. That is why I asked when they would be established. However, I did not get an answer. Therefore, let me ask this. The potential is tremendous in rural New Brunswick for establishing a bioeconomy in our province that would create a lot of jobs. We have woodlot owners, farmers, and fish processors who can provide a consistent supply of biomass to drive the development of a biochemical sector, a biopolymer sector, bioplastics, biogas, and biodiesel. These industries in
our province would necessarily be located in rural New Brunswick in order to be close to those sources of raw materials. Can the Premier tell this House how the conditions for growth in these sectors can be created without an agency or department with that responsibility and without establishing local economic development agencies?

Hon. Mr. Doucet: I have encouraged the member opposite to get involved with our departments at any time. I have extended the olive branch for him to come over and talk to our folks, to the economic development people at Opportunities New Brunswick. I have offered the olive branch for him to come in to speak to the people at the Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries. A lot of activity is going on in bioscience, on the bioagriculture side and the biofishery side. There are so many byproducts that the fisheries group has been working with that it is absolutely tremendous. I know that the member has a busy schedule, but if he would take the time and come to visit and see exactly what type of activity is taking place in those sectors . . . It is
absolutely tremendous. The potato industry is absolutely tremendous. Some new activity will be taking place very
shortly with respect to beets. I really do encourage the member of the Green Party to take the
opportunity to come in and talk to some of those people . . .

Mr. Speaker: Time, minister.

Mr. Coon: I did have an enjoyable conversation with Mr. Lund not that long ago. It was an interesting discussion that I would be happy to share with the minister at some time, if he is interested. The closure of school buildings and courthouses in rural New Brunswick represents an abandonment of social and community infrastructure. It sends the message that the government continues to turn its back on rural New Brunswick. Now, it is time to establish the conditions for a rural renaissance. With the federal government’s emphasis on building social and green infrastructure, the wise investment of these funds can help ignite that very renaissance here in New Brunswick. This requires, though, that the government establish some kind of department or some kind of agency to focus like a laser beam on rural development. This is not the mandate of Opportunities New Brunswick, which is a Crown corporation. We do not have a department or a minister of economic development anymore. Is the Premier prepared to establish such a department or agency to create the conditions for a rural renaissance in New Brunswick?

Hon. Mr. Doucet: As I mentioned just a few moments ago, I certainly open the door again. The member has not taken advantage of the opportunity to come to the department to talk about some of the green activities, which are exactly some of the activities that he is talking about. Rural, sustainable activities are going on in this province right now. As a matter of fact, on Monday, the Department of Environment is hosting a green tech summit
in Edmundston. If the member could spend some time in Edmundston to hear what the stakeholders have to say about green technology and what is taking place in the economy, I would certainly encourage him to do so and to take the time to visit these areas. I think of some of the activity that takes place in rural New Brunswick. I have to focus some of the attention on the salmon industry. Global salmon production—and this is sustainable—is 14.8
billion meals served annually, with 121 000 jobs . . .

Mr. Speaker: Time, minister.