44th Parl. 1st Sess.

February 1, 2022 10:00AM

Feb/1/22 7:18:31 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, it is great to be back in the chamber this year. It is great to be back participating today. On December 13, I rose in this chamber to ask the minister responsible for FedNor what specific measures her department is taking to improve wait times for funding application decisions. Unfortunately the minister did not respond and instead the government House leader rose to provide, frankly, a non-answer. It is concerning, because over the last two years every core program administered by FedNor has failed to meet its own service standards regarding these wait times. There are countless valuable shovel-ready projects across northern Ontario and in my riding of Kenora that would create jobs and enrich our communities. They are just waiting for support from the federal government to make them happen. The timing on these applications truly matters, especially in a region like northern Ontario. Many FedNor applicants are in rural and northern communities and face logistical challenges in getting their projects under way. For instance, remote communities such as Fort Severn or Kasabonika Lake in my riding only have a small window of winter road access each year, which can limit their ability to deliver equipment and materials. If they do not hear back from the department in a timely manner, they may have to wait as much as another year before they are able to put shovels in the ground and move forward on an important community project. It is clear that small businesses, municipalities, first nations and communities across northern Ontario rely on this department for support, and they really need clarity on the status of their applications. Successful applicants need to be told as soon as possible, so that they can start to work as soon as possible. Unsuccessful applicants need to find out in a timely manner, so that they can adjust their plans to seek other sources of funding, either at the federal or provincial level. In these uncertain times, the ability to plan ahead can be the difference between a business or municipality being able to fund new projects or, for a business, to maybe be able to keep its doors open. I know from my conversations with the minister that she recognizes this issue and wants to see it addressed, so I am asking again today if someone on the government side can please share what specific measures they are taking to fix this issue.

407 words

Hear!
Rabble!
add
star_border
share

Context: House Hansard - 21 - Feb/1/22

Mr. Eric Melillo

Feb/1/22 7:23:56 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I must say it is incredibly disappointing that the minister responsible once again was not able to answer my questions. Once again, I had a response that clearly did not answer the questions put forward. I was asking what specific measures the government is taking to address the wait times. The member mentioned that they are working to meet the current standards, however, over the past two years, every core program has failed to meet those current standards. I would like to provide the member with an opportunity once again to answer the question that I put. What specific measures is the minister taking to fix wait times and ensure that each core program can meet the service standards as they are set out?

126 words

Hear!
Rabble!
add
star_border
share

SoVote

House Hansard - 21