Mr. Speaker, the softwood lumber crisis and the economic downturn are having the predictable impact at employment centres. The demand has jumped 15% to 17% in the Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean, in the eastern townships, in Shawinigan and in central and eastern Quebec.
Last fall the Minister of Human Resources Development had plenty of time to allocate the necessary resources to meet this demand but she did not act.
Will she reassure us today that unemployed people will be receiving their cheques on time in order to provide for their families?