"In my district, I have 39 rural communities that rely heavily on the resource based economy," said Mr. Reid. "Unfortunately, many people in these communities have fallen just short of the number of hours required to qualify for E.I. benefits.

"Government has allocated only $65,000 to help create work for the unemployed people in my area, down from $150,000 last year. The town of Change Islands alone has applied for $99,000 to help its residents in this time of need. How can government justify this amount of money to the many families relying on these projects? Constituents have phoned me in tears wondering how they are going to put food on their tables this winter.

"It is obvious that the urban dominated cabinet of the current administration do not have the same concern or understanding for the issues facing the rural areas of our province. Is this going to be a recurring theme with this government?

"I call upon the Conservative government to provide more funding for these vital make-work projects. The deadline for many people to qualify for E.I benefits is fast approaching, and must be addressed immediately by this government."