Hon. James S. Cowan (Leader of the Opposition):

Honourable senators, in order to reinforce the point that Senators Mercer and Cordy have made, I suggest to the leader that there is a differential impact in a smaller community if you lose six, eight or ten jobs. The ripple effect that those job losses have on that community is much greater than they would be in a large urban centre where there are support systems. It has the same impact on the six, eight or ten people who lose their jobs, but would the leader not agree there is a difference in the impact that those job losses have in smaller communities as compared to large communities? That is the point that Senators Mercer and Cordy are making.

No one is suggesting that, when the government faces the difficult situation they are in, there will not be some cutbacks that are necessary. Whether caused by international factors or by previous decisions of government is not the point. The point is that the government is clearly committed to cutbacks to address the financial situation the country is in.

All we are asking is that the government recognize there are differential impacts, and a job in one small community is not the same as a job in another community. There are differential impacts.

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