Mr. Speaker, I want to condemn an injustice with respect to the former BC Mine workers of Black Lake.
When the BC asbestos mine was closed, on November 1, 1997, 300 workers lost their jobs. Two thirds of them were over 52 years of age.
The Minister of Human Resources Development reacted very timidly to support Quebec asbestos miners with only $4 million, whereas the same minister finds considerable amounts for the miners from Cape Breton in Nova Scotia.
On behalf of the Minister of Human Resources Development, the Minister of National Defence answered this to the question I asked on this issue on March 19, 1999:
In this case a workforce adjustment package of $111 million will be provided to workers with fair severance and early retirement packages.
To the generous $111 million compensation package I just mentioned, $148 million will be added by two other departments, apparently to accelerate Cape Breton's economic expansion.
I condemn this double standard. The people in Black Lake feel the Minister of Human Resources Development is treating them unfairly. The Thetford Mines region feels unfairly treated by the Liberal government of Canada. Quebec is not getting its fair share.
To the $111 million have been added $68 million from economic development and $80 million from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, for a total of $259 million to the miners of Nova Scotia, while hardly $4 million has been provided for the people of Black Lake, in Quebec.
That is the fairness of this Liberal government. Four million dollars for Quebec, and $259 million for Nova Scotia.
I urge the Minister of Human Resources Development to correct this injustice by reopening the file on the BC Mine workers. Everyone in Canada must be fairly treated. Why $259 million for coal miners in Nova Scotia and only $4 million for asbestos workers at the BC Mine in Black Lake? There is the injustice.
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources Development, in response to a question from the hon. member for Acadie—Bathurst, said earlier that the surplus from the employment insurance fund, which exceeds $20 billion, belongs to everyone, and not only to millionaires. If this money belongs to everyone, a good share of the $20 billion should be given back to the BC Mine workers. That is—