Funds Cut

By 250 News

The Federal government has announced cuts totaling about $1 billion dollars.

Included in those cuts, $11.2 million dollars of unused funds for the Mountain Pine Beetle Initiative. Opinion 250 has placed a call to both Dick Harris and Jay Hill to get their comments as to why these funds were cut but have not heard back from them.

City of Prince George Mayor Colin Kinsley  is supposed to be in a conference all day today but says he may have to leave that conference to see how the City can access the money "There was no application form" says Kinsley who says  he and Dr. Charles Jago met with David Emerson and the Minister responsible for Infrastructure funding last spring. 

He says they had asked the Federal Government for some of the beetle funding for the construction of the Northern Sports Centre ""We wanted the Federal Government  to show some small role, that  they meant business about mitigation and diversification for communities affected by the pine beetle infestation.  What better example of clean diversification than growing sport medicine, sport training, more professors, more research throughout the entire region?  The Northern Sports Centre sits perfectly well and if there is $11.2 million, we only need five of it."

Here is the balance of the cuts announced Monday:

• End to visitor-rebate program that gave tax refunds to tourists: savings, $78.8 million
• Law commission cuts $4.2 million
• Smaller cabinet announced last February: $46.8 million
• Administrative reductions to Status of Women: $5 million.
• End to medical marijuana science funding: $4 million
• Cuts to museums assistance: $4.6 million
• `Efficiencies’ in Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.: $45 million
• Removal of unused funds for mountain pine beetle initiative: $11.2 million
• Elimination of Court Challenges Program: $5.6 million
• Cancellation of National Defense radar project: $13.9 million
• Consolidation of foreign missions: $4.5 million.

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