Mr. Speaker, in listening to the hon. member's speech, I know there must be another side to the story of Cape Breton. I know that I speak for millions of Canadians when I say that we understand just how difficult the closing of the mines of Cape Breton is for the miners and their families.
There are members of the House who should be ashamed of themselves for trying to make Canadians believe that Cape Breton miners cannot be retrained. They would have us believe that the economy of industrial Cape Breton is nothing more than coal mines and steel mills, which we just heard today, and that its future can never move beyond the old economy. There are members of the House who would sustain political careers by keeping Cape Bretoners chained to industries that are no longer viable as presently operated.
It is no secret to the people of industrial Cape Breton that the economy has been on life-support for over 30 years. Is this fair to the miners? Is it fair to their wives? Is it fair to their children? Is it fair to these families to put more money into industries going nowhere when money can be spent on industries that have a future?
Cape Bretoners can and will make changes to their own future. They have done it in the past with people like J.P. McLaughlin, Moses Coady and Father Thompkins. The federal government is not turning its back on Cape Breton.
I will review what the federal government is doing in a later comment.
There are very few miners who in fact are going to be dislocated. Jobs are available at the Prince mine. They have a chance of employment there. There are over 500 jobs being created.