Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I'll be very brief as to why I believe we should support this now. I will lay out some points that I think people will all be able to agree on.
The forest industries, labour, affected communities and suppliers, and their families, have described this gesture as nice, but it won't save one job or one plant. It is somewhat defeatist in that it assumes the industry is a write-off.
I would contend at this stage, in the precarious situation that is facing the industry, that with the restructuring there are new niches being created, such as in fine paper and corrugated paper, that can actually save hundreds if not thousands of jobs—if the assistance comes now.
Point three is that this package as described is based on a per capita. That means that a province such as Alberta would get a large amount of money, and I think everybody is well aware of the envy with which we view Alberta's economy. An aid package for Alberta is kind of like sending limousines to Beverly Hills. It's not really going to affect who is going to be able to drive.
The other thing is that, as described, the package has no strings attached. It means that the provinces and territories can do with it as they will, which means that it may not go to the forest industry. It may go to something else.
Now, the problem is that the communities that are going to be going after this money are so desperate—we're going to take whatever we can get. That's why at this stage I'm ready to support this. The reason I want to support it now is that, because of the partisanship of making this contingent on the passage of the budget, there is going to be no flow until June or July, which is way too late, six or seven months too late. The need is so immediate that I'm begging all members of the committee to vote for this, because if we wait until July, we won't save one job or one plant.
Thank you very much, Mr. Benoit.