Madam Speaker, I rise today to follow up on the comments I made on November 15, 1999 on Bill C-11, an act to authorize the divestiture of the assets of, and to dissolve, the Cape Breton Development Corporation. On that occasion I spoke about the Liberal government's lack of respect for the workers in Atlantic Canada and how Bill C-11 was just another insult to the workers who have given their lives to Devco.
Since November 15 much has happened in Cape Breton with regard to the Liberal government's treatment of the Devco question.
On January 4, Devco miners had to resort to a strike to get the Liberal government's attention. Did it listen? Of course not. It continued to stick its head in the sand. It was only when miners barricaded themselves underground and threatened to go on a hunger strike that the government began to take an interest.
Finally, after a year of asking for a meeting with the Minister of Natural Resources, union representatives were able to sit down with the minister and air their concerns.
Negotiations on the pension plan began on January 11 and were referred to a mediator last week.
Miners should have been granted the right to negotiate their pension plan from the outset of the dispute. However, we should never expect the Liberal government to consult those concerned. That would be far too much to ask.
While the miners were fighting for the right to negotiate, it was revealed that the finance minister's shipping company was part of the fleet bringing coal in from Columbia and the U.S. It was also reported that the finance minister's company had expressed interest in buying some of Devco's assets.
The Liberal government has no shame. It cuts thousands of jobs in Cape Breton while the finance minister directly profits from the sale of Devco. In my books that is what I call a conflict of interest.
That is not the only problem with the Liberal government's quick sale of Devco. The moneys set aside for economic adjustment are inadequate even by the government's own estimates which placed the need at $300 million. The proposed funding package is definitely inadequate in comparison to the Gardiner-Pinfold study which suggested the cost to offset fallout from the closure of Devco would be $1.5 billion.
The government is once again writing its policy on the run. It refused to consult the affected communities, the unions that represent the workers affected and other community groups who live in Cape Breton and know what the impact will be if Devco is sold.
Too often my Liberal colleagues on the other side of the House forget that the policies which they support have a direct impact on the lives of Canadians.
Many of the policy decisions made by the government have hurt Canadians. The cuts to social transfers have crippled our health care system and increased tuition fees for universities to such a level that many Canadians no longer consider post-secondary education. Because of changes to the employment insurance, 800,000 unemployed workers cannot receive EI benefits, even if they contributed to the fund.
Do the hon. members opposite realize the hardship that will descend on the people of Cape Breton if Devco is closed? It is sometimes hard to imagine the effect on a community when it is not ours.
Unfortunately, I have seen the devastation caused by unemployment. I have seen families thrown into poverty, children going to school with no food in their bellies and workers going to the employment insurance office day after day hoping to find jobs but leaving empty-handed. This kind of desperation takes a toll on the family and on the community.
The government is content with turning its back on Cape Bretoners when it could have proceeded in a humane and proactive manner. It could have sat down with community leaders, unions, elected representatives to figure out what needed to be done to fulfil the government's obligation under sections 17 and 18 of the original Devco act.
Instead of its drive-by announcement, the minister could have actually talked to Devco workers, answered a few of their questions and, heaven forbid, actually have acted on their recommendations.
Why does the government always run away when the Canadian people want to talk to them? The former Minister of Human Resources Development categorically refused to meet with unemployed workers even though his department administered the Employment Insurance Act which condemned thousands of Canadian families to poverty.
Now the Minister of Natural Resources comes in, announces the Devco closure and takes off. Why do Canadians have to take to the streets to get the Liberal government to listen to them?
The members for Bras d'Or—Cape Breton and Sydney—Victoria have stood in the House repeatedly to identify the fundamental problems with this bill. They outlined the lack of public consultations, but did the Liberal government listen? Of course not.
Sadly, it is par for the course for this government. Let me talk about other areas where the Liberals have let Canadians down: the lack of leadership in the aboriginal fisheries crisis; the inaction of the government on homelessness; the government turning its back on hepatitis C victims; the Liberal government cuts in social transfers which have plunged our health care into crisis; the sky-rocketing cost of getting a post-secondary education; the cuts to employment insurance; the bungling of HRDC grants.
The government has made a habit of letting down Canadians and this Devco sell-off is just another item on the list.
However, it is not too late. The government can still set things right. I hope the Minister of Natural Resources and his colleagues listen carefully to the debate that is going on now and act in the best interest of the people of Cape Breton. It is pretty clear they have not so far.
The government should have more respect for those people who have spent 30 years working underground in the coal mines. I bet not many members in the House of Commons have ever worked underground. I know what it is like to work underground because I worked for 15 years underground. However, I did not work for the coal industry.
The government must show respect for the people of Cape Breton. It must take a lead hand and take care of those people who have spent 30 years of their lives underground in Cape Breton. The government has a responsibility. It cannot just sell off Cape Breton to the Minister of Finance who wants to be the next Prime Minister.
