Debates of April 25th, 2002

Supply

[Gérard Asselin, Bloc, Charlevoix, QC]

Martin Cauchon.

[Mario Laframboise, Bloc, Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC]

—who is now the Minister of Justice, met with representatives—

[The Deputy Speaker]

Order please. I am ready to accept a forceful debate, but the rules do not allow us to refer to a member by name.

I hope this is the last time I have to say this. The hon. member for Argenteuil-Papineau--Mirabel.

[Mario Laframboise, Bloc, Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am not the one who referred to the minister by name. I hope you will respect the way I am making my speech. I did not refer to him by name.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Order, please. There is another rule in the House. We cannot do indirectly what we cannot do directly.

The hon. member for Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel.

[Mario Laframboise, Bloc, Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, all this to say once again that Quebecers have to understand that multinationals do not make business decisions; they make almost no business decisions without consulting governments.

This is what happened on September 6, 2001. The Minister of Industry of Canada, with the secretary of state responsible for development in Quebec—

[Gérard Asselin, Bloc, Charlevoix, QC]

The member for Outremont.

[Mario Laframboise, Bloc, Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC]

—now the Minister of Justice—

[Gérard Asselin, Bloc, Charlevoix, QC]

The member for Outremont.

[Mario Laframboise, Bloc, Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC]

—went to see the GM executives. Following this meeting, they announced the terrible news to GM Boisbriand workers, to Quebecers, that this plant would close in September 2002.

What we ask the House is to tell the federal government, “You have certain responsibilities. We believe that, as Prime Minister, the leader of the government must meet with GM Boisbriand management and ensure that Quebec gets its fair share of investment in the auto industry, since Quebecers buy more than 25% of the vehicles in Canada”.

[Monique Guay, Bloc, Laurentides, QC]

Mr. Speaker, there is an obvious lack of good will here. The government side tells us that everything has been done to try to solve the situation and get involved.

Just now there are here on the Hill some people that are actively involved in this matter. I would like to mention in particular Mr. Luc Desnoyers and Mr. Poirier, mayor of Boisbriand and Chairman of the Coalition to save the Boisbriand plant.

Brian Tobin—I guess I can call him by name since he no longer is a minister—promised last October, that is six months ago, to appoint two lobbyists and one administrative clerk. Nothing has been done yet. When they talk about the government's will to get involved, they are pushing it a bit far. They cannot even appoint the two lobbyists and the administrative clerk they were supposed to appoint to help move this item along. This was six months ago.

I would like to have my colleague's view on the matter.

[Mario Laframboise, Bloc, Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC]

I thank my colleague from Laurentides who is the Labour critic for our party and who has researched the matter well in order to present the situation as it is.

There is no will on the part of the federal liberal government to settle the GM Boisbriand matter. There is no such will and the mayor of Boisbriand came to say so today with workers and their union.

To follow up on my colleague's question, even if lobbyists were appointed now, it would probably be too late. He should have appointed them in the days following the announcement. This was six months ago already. It is probably too late.

What has to be done now is to protect the equipment and make sure that the plant is not demolished. This is the situation. This is what has to be done now.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, I know people are listening and I think the Bloc Quebecois member is making that speech in very bad faith.

The government of Canada, through all the ministers who worked on the issue, has had the opportunity to look for solutions and is still doing so. Why is this question being raised today? They are just now bringing that up. I discussed the fact with my colleague, the member for Hull--Aylmer, earlier.

We must not forget that the member for Argenteuil--Papineau--Mirabel himself is a lobbyist. He would have liked to be a liberal federal candidate. He worked very hard to that end because, at the time, he really believed we were an excellent government.

One should not think that this situation with the GM plant in Boisbriand has just happened overnight and that nothing is being done. I know Luc Desnoyers. I worked with that man. We spoke together. He has been in constant communication with us. We have had some meetings. The Deputy Prime Minister himself, who was industry minister at the time, went to Detroit.

Instead of playing petty political games as they are doing right now, to take advantage of the situation and find a justification for their presence in Ottawa, the members should work with the government. That way, maybe they could show they have some good common sense.

[Mario Laframboise, Bloc, Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Party had sent its favorite lobbyist Mr. Alfonso Gagliano after me. It took me a few minutes to realize what this man was made of. I am proud to be a member of the Bloc Quebecois Party.

Especially when I see Quebec members, including the secretary of state for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, a member from Quebec, who, on September 6, 2001, after touring every GM facility in Ontario, went with the minister of Industry, Brian Tobin, to meet with the management, and told people in Quebec that nothing could be done to save the GM plant in Boisbriand and that it would close in September 2002, I am very proud to be a member of the Bloc Quebecois.

[Gérard Asselin, Bloc, Charlevoix, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the member who just spoke for his speech, Indeed he showed how inefficient the member for Outremont, in charge of regional economic development for Quebec, was.

The reward he got from the Prime Minister was to be appointed Minister of Justice. Unfortunately, I do not have his picture to show as I cannot name him.

I cannot understand the federal government's lack of action in the auto industry, which needs financial help and technical support.

Right now, we are having a problem in Quebec with GM. I believe the Liberal federal government should offer its unconditional support as it did to the United States following the September 11 events. In the meantime, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Hyundai and Volkswagen are expanding in Quebec at the expense of the industry that is not getting support from the federal government.

[Mario Laframboise, Bloc, Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Charlevoix is right. Quebec is a big consumer of cars. All Quebecers are asking is fairness and our fair share of building these cars.

We account for over 25% of consumption and 28% of GM car buyers in Canada. We want GM to stay in Boisbriand. We want cars to continue being assembled in Quebec.

[Larry Bagnell, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to bring my thoughts back to the individual workers who may be involved in this plant closing.

When any business closes, whether it is large or small, there is a human tragedy for the families. It is very difficult for a person to be unemployed and support a family. Our thoughts are with the workers and many other businesses in Canada that close or restructure for whatever reason. We must keep those families first and foremost in our mind.

The BQ motion regarding the closing of the plant in Sainte-Thérèse does not deserve the support of the House at this time. To start with, as all members know, this is not exactly new news. GM announced the plant's closure last September.

It is wrong to blame the Government of Canada for this closure when it has been working hard along with the government of Quebec for the past few years to prevent the plant's closure.

The previous federal industry minister travelled with the current Quebec premier to Detroit and made a joint case to GM executives for keeping the plant open. Do members opposite wish to condemn the premier of Quebec too or do they want to condemn local business people or Canadian auto worker unions that have worked hard to find a better solution? Do members opposite wish to condemn the mayor of Boisbriand and all the members of le Comité de soutien de l'industrie automobile dans les Basses-Laurentides who have been working tirelessly with GM and the federal government to come up with alternatives? Do they wish to condemn the Government of Canada for giving le Comité the financial support it needed to make its case?

If they do they would have to condemn themselves because some of their own representatives were on the task force, as were representatives of the Parti Quebecois. Nobody likes to see plant closures, not in Quebec, not anywhere else in Canada. We should take a minute to step back and look at the details before we declare that the automobile industry has disappeared in Quebec and make all other kinds of dramatic economic predictions.

The simple truth is that the automobile industry in Quebec, far from having disappeared, is visible despite some setbacks and is a vibrant industry with good prospects for future growth.

Let us start with GM. It has announced that it will continue to source over $850 million annually from over 700 Quebec suppliers. It has made a commitment to work closely with the government to develop further supplier production opportunities in Quebec. The company has stated that because of its sourcing initiatives in Quebec it will be creating at least as many jobs in the supplier companies in Quebec as will be lost at Sainte-Thérèse.

Members only have to look at some other recent investments in industry to understand that despite the hand wringing of members opposite the auto industry has a great future in Quebec. As hon. members may know, last November SaarGummi Automotive Group announced a $40 million investment to build two new auto part plants and the creation of 800 new jobs in Magog, Quebec. On December 3, 2001, the Société de développement du magnésium announced a $34 million investment to build a magnesium auto parts plant in Boisbriand which will create 100 new jobs. On December 18, 2001, Bridgestone-Firestone announced it will invest $36 million to modernize its Joliette tire plant and to expand its product range.

GM stated that while the decision was painful, most of the 1,100 hourly employees, and 300 hourly employees currently on layoff at Sainte-Thérèse, are now eligible for early retirement or will become eligible within the next few years. It indicated that a majority of the employees were eligible for income continuation of up to three years and that the company would work closely with the CAW and with the Quebec and federal governments to put in place training and other transition assistance programs for those who want to continue their working careers.

We should also remind ourselves that despite our setback Canada remains one of the most attractive places in the world in which to do business. A recent study by KPMG Inc. has shown that Canada continues to be the low cost leader among industrial nations. The study looked at the comparative after tax cost in all leading industrial countries. It showed that Canada has one of the most attractive investment climates in the world. We are number one in biomedical R and D, advanced software, electronics assembly, content development, electronic systems testing, specialty chemicals, and shared services. We are competitive in every other economic sector.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Before proceeding to statements by members, I will take a point of order from the hon. member for Lakeland.

The House resumed from April 24 consideration of the motion.

Canadian Forces Day

[Leon Benoit, Canadian Alliance, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I ask that Motion No. 334 on the order paper in the name of the member for Nepean--Carleton be concurred in by everyone in the House. We have talked to the other parties and I believe that concurrence will come forth.

I want to explain what the motion is about. It will put in place, on the first Sunday in June each year, a celebration to recognize our current serving Canadian forces members. I believe that is supported by all members in the House.

I would like to say as well that the member for Calgary Southeast has another motion which I will not tie to this one in any way, but which is every bit as valuable as this motion for which I am asking unanimous consent. I hope the government and all members in the House will approve both motions.

This motion is important to our soldiers and they deserve that recognition.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Does the hon. member have unanimous consent of the House to propose the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Deputy Speaker]

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

(Motion agreed to)

[Jason Kenney, Canadian Alliance, Calgary Southeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. In the spirit of non-partisan equanimity with which this motion was just dealt, I seek unanimous consent to restore to the order of precedence and deem votable my Bill C-297, an act to promote the observance of two minutes of silence on Remembrance Day, similar in concept to this motion, for which I have sought consent previously. I would ask that if members are prepared to grant consent to the motion which was just agreed to, that in the spirit of fairness--