Mr. Speaker, on March 4 I asked a question of the Prime Minister regarding Vale Inco laying off 421 people across the country but more particular to my interest were the 261 people in Sudbury in northern Ontario. The response came from the Minister of Industry.
The minister spoke of what was going on in northern Ontario. He rattled off a list of programs and initiatives that were nothing new to northern Ontario. They sounded good, but there was no real substance nor were new initiatives discussed in light of what was happening to the economy and the job losses in northern Ontario.
He complained about the Senate holding up the budget and how the benefits were being held back by the Senate. We know that was not true. We know that was nothing more than Conservative propaganda. The Senate has long since passed the budget, yet the Conservatives continue to drag their feet regarding help for unemployed workers in northern Ontario.
Let us go back to my question of March 4 and the response or perhaps the lack of response to my question. In October 2008, we were told that the minister was reviewing an agreement with Vale Inco, key to the foreign takeover, and this was the agreement between the Conservative government and Vale guaranteeing that Canadian jobs would be protected when this foreign takeover took place. Was this for the people of Sudbury and Canada? I do not think so. This was more Conservative posturing.
When asked of this arrangement with the company, the minister replied on March 4 that he expected Vale Inco would live up to its agreement with the Government of Canada. There was nothing in force; there was nothing there. We need more than words from the government. We need actions.
Under the watch of the government and the minister, Inco was sold to a foreign company, a foreign multinational, and in true Conservative form there are no demands put on multinationals to protect Canadian jobs.
I have a few questions I would like answered. Was there in fact an agreement to protect Canadian jobs when Vale from Brazil bought Inco? What has the government done to uphold that agreement if in fact it did exist? When will the government stand up to protect the citizens of Canada and not continue to defend multinationals? What sanctions does Vale Inco face now that the agreement has been violated?
Furthermore, what is the Conservative government doing to prevent future violations? My final question is, more importantly, what is the Conservative government doing to bring back the jobs that have been lost in northern Ontario and across Canada because of violations of this agreement?