Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Transportation. It is in regard to a priority of this government, which is to ensure that transportation programs and services are delivered in a manner that maximizes local and territorial training, employment and business opportunities.
Mr. Speaker, I have a concern, especially coming from a small riding where a lot of contracts are going to companies in the larger centres, yet we have a high unemployment rate in a lot of our small communities where we are looking at 80, in some cases 85 percent unemployment. A lot of these contracts are being let go, yet the people in the communities are still having problems getting work, especially when these opportunities come about. Mr. Speaker, my question to the Minister is, what is the Minister and his department doing to ensure that there are maximum employment opportunities to local communities when they do offer contracts and services for those particular communities or surrounding those particular communities?