Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his clear presentation. It is always interesting to listen to him. His comments always carry a very political dimension. I am a great admirer of the hon. member for Frontenac—Mégantic.
He referred to the Singer workers. People think that the case of Singer workers was settled. It was said that Singer workers settled in court, that the case was closed. But there is still an outstanding issue. I am taking this opportunity to tell voters who are listening to us that, from 1942 to 1967, the federal government was responsible for that fund. It allowed the employer to stop paying contributions and, in the end, the employer made off with the money.
In 1994, the Bloc Quebecois began asking questions. The various ministers kept saying that the issue did not come under their responsibility. One can understand why.
Does the hon. member agree that Singer workers were the first victims of what is happening today? The government could see that the surplus was growing, but was unable to tell Singer workers “We recognize that we have a responsibility, we will pay you”. Instead, the government said “No, we do not want to pay you. We have no responsibility in this”. I have always thought the government was already thinking about getting its hands on the pot, as it is doing now.
Does the hon. member agree that Singer workers are the first victims of what is going on today?