Madam Speaker, it is interesting that in the month of January the miners had to go underground on strike to try to get a negotiated settlement.
It is not as if there were no precedent. One example is medical benefits. When Via Rail was shut down, medical benefits were provided to those employees. When CN was shut down, medical benefits were continued for those employees. When Devco was being closed down, the government told the miners who have gone underground and suffered injuries and their families that there would be no extension of any medical benefits whatsoever.
That is the kind of settlement the miners are seeking, in other areas as well, in terms of relocation and in terms of education.
My colleague has done her homework for which I commend her. She has a sensitive understanding of the issue. Would she not agree that these people should be entitled to the same benefits as the government has given to other Canadians when it phased out industries?