Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of National Defence. It is also on the social implications of the budget.
The minister has announced plans to reduce the size of Canadian forces in his department by 16,000 people. Many of us in the House regard this downsizing as a test of the capability of the government to help workers shift from employment in one sector to productive employment elsewhere.
Specifically what steps are the minister's department and the department of human resources development taking to help these 16,000 Canadians find and fill productive jobs elsewhere?