Mr. Speaker, my question is for the minister for ACOA. His ministry has produced a report saying that 23,000 jobs in Atlantic Canada will be lost in the next 26 months. The minister calls the situation very mild.
Is very mild what the minister thinks the impact of unemployment will be on the tens of thousands of Atlantic workers and their families who are out of work and who are on the verge of being laid off?
How can he be so flippant with these good people who are being forced to survive with reduced EI, reduced provincial transfers and totally inadequate social and infrastructure spending from his government?