At the beginning of his statement, the minister spoke of $43 billion over 30 years. This financing may, of course, require the immediate support of the project by the shipbuilding industry, but there are no guarantees of that. What is certain is that the current budget contains approximately $175 million. Other measures might have been taken in the past and could perhaps still be taken.
These include, for example, work carried out by various companies over the years, whether it be in the repair or reconstruction of ships; there have been several. Had the government granted credits or refunds to Canadian shipowners—something it could still do—when they transformed or rebuilt approximately 16 ships abroad, it would have drawn their attention. Four or six of these ships might have represented $100 to $150 million in business. The budget talks about $175 million, but refundable tax credits for shipowners might get their interest.
A whole range of measures could be implemented to assist the shipbuilding industry during this transition period. This is what we would expect from the government.