Mr. Speaker, the economy of the Montreal region is currently undergoing a major crisis. The unemployment rate is alarming, 48,000 jobs were lost between the months of November and January, and the unemployment insurance reform is forcing more and more people to turn to on social assistance.
What is the federal government doing to correct this unacceptable situation? Nothing. The mayor of Montreal, Mr. Bourque, came to Ottawa to ask for federal assistance. He went home empty handed. Minister Stéphane Dion wants to divide Montreal into small blocks, while the Minister of Human Resources Development calls the unemployed lazy people and agitators.
Montrealers are still waiting for the jobs promised by the Liberal Party during the election campaign. So far, they only got cuts in social programs, in the UI program and in the transfer payments to the provinces. The Liberal government's performance regarding Montreal is a real shame.