Madam Speaker, I will avail myself of my right to respond. Tonight I see that things are not looking good for miners in the Abitibi.
I appreciated the comments made by the Bloc Quebecois member for Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques who is, I must add, replacing the member for Témiscamingue who is attending a committee meeting.
Quite simply I have to say that I am not at all amused by the government's reaction to my motion. Before and after my speech when the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources, who is from northern Ontario, was speaking, I made a short visit to the government lobby. A note from the minister regarding Motion No. 295, my motion aimed at helping miners and their families in my region, said that:
The federal government recognizes that resource regions are going through tough times because of a drop in the price of metals and that they are facing many challenges.
The note also mentioned what the government had done so far, namely a 15% tax credit for mines. However, that measure came from the Department of Finance, not from the Department of Natural Resources. The note talked about research and development, but this is not the responsibility of the Minister of Natural Resources. It is the responsibility of the Economic Development Canada, headed by the member for Outremont, who often visits our region. I know that the Department of Natural Resources is involved in CanMet, but this was implemented by the Conservatives in the 1980s.
The position of the Minister of Natural Resources is this:
The minister does not support this motion for the reasons I have mentioned.
I can understand the minister for not coming in the House and opposing the motion himself. However, mine workers have made a contribution to Canada. Moreover, they pay federal and provincial taxes.
Between 1948 and 1976 the Canadian government had emergency legislation to support the gold mining industry. I can understand why the Alliance member is against this motion. British Columbia has only 10% of the mines.
In our region people are out of work. If we can count on the federal government, they can work. We are asking for help. We are in a serious crisis. I could use certain words and I could get angry, but I am trying to find a solution for workers and their families. They have to go back to work. We are asking for urgent action.
We know where the Canadian government stands. However the Alliance did not say a word. Conservative members said nothing when assistance was provided to farmers and fishers. We have to find a way to help workers in the mining industry in our area. I was a miner in the Sigma mine. Assistance is needed right now. Let the ministers come and see us. Let them try to find a solution so these workers can have jobs.
I know that the Liberal member for Outremont does a good job of trying to come up with solutions. However the Minister of Natural Resources has to wake up. Let him come to the Abitibi and meet the workers. Things are truly going badly. It is too bad that Réal Caouette is not in this House now. He would get the message across. He would go and wake them up in the departments.
Solutions have to be found. If I am to believe the minister responsible for economic development in Quebec he understands the problem, but his colleagues have to do something. It really is going badly. They did something for agriculture in the west. They did something for fishing. However, for the northern regions, resource regions, an understanding would have to be reached with the provincial governments.
In Ontario things are going very badly. When the mine closed in Cape Breton we all agreed in the House to pour millions into it. The mine workers are now at home. They are not working. They have been there for months. There is a real difficult slump.
The Minister of Finance did help with the 15% on flow through shares. That was a good move, but what has happened since these shares? There is a real slump. They talk about helping other countries, as was the case during the gulf war. They sent in an F-18. In 18 seconds they push a button and they are there. However it costs $3 billion.
It cost only $303 million for the emergency measures between 1948 and 1976 to help the community of Canadian miners. The mining association called the parliamentary secretary to say it was opposed. I understand. These associations are headed by the big companies working outside Canada, the multimillionaires as we call them at home.
Mine workers in small companies such as McWatters and the Beaufor mine are currently unemployed. They say “We must not intervene because of the world price”. They do not care a whit for the world issues in the Abitibi at the moment. People want to work. They want to be able to put food on the table now. That is what counts.
We will meet members, but I want to say that we will keep on rattling the cage. Things have to start happening.