Madam Speaker, as everyone knows, we are very concerned with what has happened in Shannon. The health and safety of the people of Shannon, of Quebec, and of all of Canada, are of the utmost importance to our government. This is why I would remind the Bloc Québécois that we answered virtually the same question on February 25, 2009. It is obvious that the Bloc is more interested in scoring points at the expense of the people of Shannon than in getting answers to its questions.
I would like to set certain points straight. We have corrected the water problem. We have worked unceasingly to defend the interests of the residents of Shannon and we have put forward a viable solution. Moreover, the mayor of Shannon has publicly acknowledged our good work and thanked us for resolving the problem. If the mayor is satisfied, why is the Bloc Québécois not satisfied?
The residents of Shannon are benefiting today from the efforts by our government and from the attention the Conservatives pay to Quebec. If the objective of the Bloc Québécois is to protect the interests of Quebec, how can it question this measure? Could the Bloc have some hidden agenda? Does it defend the interests of Quebeckers only when it suits them? Really, that is a great party philosophy.
The Bloc chose to vote against our action plan, an action plan that will help build a new water system for Shannon. On February 13, the minister acted on the Conservative government's promise to deliver concrete results to the people of Shannon when she announced that the federal treasury had made $13,345,000 available to carry out this vital project for them. We are working very hard with the Government of Quebec to release the funds without delay so that the money can flow to the municipality as quickly as possible.
The mayor and the Government of Quebec support this initiative. When will the Bloc get on board and help us make Quebec and Canada a better place to live? The answer is that the Bloc is an anachronistic party that has lost touch with Quebeckers and is now obsolete. The Bloc accused the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs of not caring about the human side of this story. That is an outrageous accusation, and the Bloc should be ashamed of itself.
Perhaps the Bloc should have voted for the economic action plan that enabled this government to do exactly what the Bloc wanted, which was to help the people of Shannon and Quebeckers. The Bloc talks for the sake of talking, but when it is time for action, it smugly rests on its laurels.