Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to speak after my colleague and I am happy to see he supports the motion. His position is not unanimously shared by members of his party. I hope he will be able to bring them around.
Last Saturday, as I was driving through Gaspé, on top of a hill, I came upon the village of Les Méchins, where Denise Verreault continues to run the small family shipyard. As a businesswoman in a maritime area, she decided to take matters into her own hands and develop this sector.
She has now decided to set out on a cross-Canada tour to encourage all the appropriate federal and provincial ministers to develop a genuine shipbuilding policy.
I think Mrs. Verrault would be quite proud of the motion before us. Her idea, for which she had a degree of support, has finally been taken up by others. Here is my question to my colleague. The hon. member for Lévis-et-Chutes-de-la-Chaudière has been actively supporting the shipbuilding industry. He has helped to get things moving and has made public opinion aware of this issue.
When we ask for regional economic diversification measures for regions like the Gaspé Peninsula, Les Méchins or all other Canadian regions that have what is needed for a shipbuilding industry, would the hon. member agree that the best thing we can do is to pass Bill C-493, which was introduced by the hon. member for Lévis-et-Chutes-de-la-Chaudière?
It would not provide subsidies, but tax measures to make Canadian shipbuilders more competitive internationally, a loans program with guarantees of up to 87%, just like in the United States, an Income Tax Act amendment to bring leasing rules more in line with those in the rail industry, and a refundable tax credit similar to the one in Quebec.
In this context, would these measures be in tune with his vision, because he is not looking for subsidies, but government assistance programs? That would help us to diversify our regional economies. Quebec and Canada could also regain their position on the world shipbuilding market.