Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Industry.
Ultramar Canada has begun the decommissioning of its eastern passage refinery in Nova Scotia even though its request to do so, which was filed with the Bureau of Competition Policy, is in legal limbo and even though it is refusing to negotiate seriously with a potential purchaser who could keep the plant open and maintain competition as well as nearly 150 jobs.
Since it is clear by the time the bureau may get to rule that this plant may be nothing but a pile of scrap metal, is there anything the minister can do to expedite this situation and if not, why not?