Mr. Speaker, last week I took part in a truly exceptional event, namely the founding of a coalition of the main political parties in the federal riding of Lévis and the provincial ridings of Lévis and Chutes-de-la-Chaudière. The coalition, which was established to promote a business plan for MIL Davie shipyards, is composed, at the provincial level, of representatives of the Parti québécois and of the Quebec Liberal Party and, at the federal level, of representatives of the Bloc Quebecois, of course, the Conservative Party, the New Democratic Party and even the Liberal Party of Canada.
The members of this coalition are calling on the federal government to move quickly in awarding the contract for the building of a ferry to provide service between the Magdalen Islands and the mainland to MIL Davie and to give priority consideration to the development of a prototype vessel, commonly referred to as a smart ship, so that this company can weather the transition period until such time as commercial shipbuilding picks up again.