The MP for Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke said she appreciated the Carney government’s plan to fund opportunities for skilled trade apprenticeships, but feels that youth in rural areas will miss out.
Cheryl Gallant said the money for the skilled trades laid out in this week’s Spring Economic Update is a good thing, but thinks youth who don’t live in urban areas will face barriers to access.
“We have a college in Pembroke, the Algonquin College. But, somebody who lives in an outlying area doesn’t necessarily even have a vehicle. There are no buses, no way for the young people to get into town. And there’s not that much housing available either, so they’re going to miss out,” she said.
Gallant said the update contained funding for infrastructure, but she didn’t see enough focus on local infrastructure, so municipalities will have to keep funding work that needs to be done.
Overall, she said she would have liked to have seen more of a plan to keep paying off the federal debt, rather than a plan to spend more.
