Mr. Speaker, the way in which the workers in Quebec, the workers throughout Canada, will be most directly affected is by programs that give them real support to get back to work; give them real tools to find new jobs; give them the kind of support to get them into the labour market in a way that they have not been able to do up to now.
Even the Quebec government, when it is not debating separatism, comes forward with proposals. It had to change its social programs in order to help people find employment. It admits the old passive benefit programs do not work the way they used to.
It strikes me as very strange and very odd that the Leader of the Opposition who on Sunday was saying that he is a member of the group for change is now defending the status quo. He wants to maintain unemployment. He wants to maintain benefits that do not help people get back to work.
If he is really interested in real change then he should be supporting initiatives that the government wants to take to give Canadians the right to have the dignity of work throughout Canada.