Madam Speaker, this is somewhat of a captive audience and it is wonderful, I have to admit. I was making the point about the government's inability to recognize what is important to Canadians and its inability to recognize what people in certain regions of the country want to be a part of. They want to have a say in what happens with their future. I mentioned pensions and wanting representation on the board for pensions so people have control over their future.
We need only look at what happened with the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and the Royal Oak Mines in Yellowknife and the pensions of those workers. What did the government do to those pensioners? What did it do to those workers after the years they put into that mine, the taxes they paid for the government to flaunt around and do with what it will?
The government did not provide services and health care. It did not provide enough funding for education. It did not provide enough funding for infrastructure. What did the government do with the taxes after the hard work of the miners at Royal Oak Mines? What did it do with their pensions? The Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development signed away their rights for a few bucks. There was no consideration for the work they put in. The government would not sign away the pensions of our colleagues opposite, not for a second, but for ordinary workers the government does not give a spit, not a bit.
It might be quite apparent to the Liberals that I am very disappointed over this whole issue. I am disappointed that we have had to force the government to be concerned about Canadians.
It is not okay to be flippant all the time. We can heckle. Our parties can banter back and forth, but it is not okay to be flippant about the lives of Canadians. It is not okay to be flippant about the life of that Colombian labour leader. It is his life. I want each and every one of those government members when that man's death gets reported in this House like the 90 other Colombian labour leaders' deaths, to recognize that their government supported that by not making sure we did the things we could as a good and caring socially conscious government to make sure that the rights of workers are respected everywhere.
The Liberal government, the reform alliance and the Tories always make sure to look after big business. It can come up with legislation to protect every business, every tax break it can give a business and corporation, but it cannot come up with anything as simple as protecting the rights of ordinary workers and the leaders who are out there fighting for them. Ninety labour leaders are dead and our government is a cohort of that government in selling off jobs in our country to that government.
At some point the people across the way will have to let that sit on their conscience. They will take it to bed at night and will take it with them when they leave this place. That is what it is all about. It is not the flippant attitude that they do not know the person so they do not care. That is the impression that is being given to people around the world, except for business, and it is not acceptable.
Those colleagues on this side of the House will continue to be on this side of the House because they have no leadership. Until the NDP came to the House this issue would not have been talked about. The Devco bill would have been over and done with because they are not speaking for Canadians either. They are there right along with the other ones. It is only because we are here that they have had to recognize this issue. Most of them are hanging their heads in shame because they have not spoken on this issue to protect these workers and ensure that they have a fair say in their pensions and representation on the board of directors. Not a word.
I hope some of the members across the way will take this to heart.