Mr. Speaker, of course, there will be changes to the industrial structure. When we had the debate on the Canada-U.S. free trade agreement, we also pointed out that there would be changes to the industrial structure. I was among those who supported opening up our borders, but realized that we would need assistance programs for retraining and industrial conversion.
We must approach the Kyoto protocol the same way. Just like free trade, it is here to stay. It is part of the natural evolution of our planet. We must respect nature; if we do not, at some point, we will not have any economy left.
I believe we must deal with this debate just like we dealt with the one on the Canada-U.S. free trade agreement. The question is not to determine if we are against opening up our borders or against the Kyoto protocol. The question is to see how we are going to convert of our industries and retrain of our workers. It isclearly the government's responsibility.
However, I think that the impact has been exaggerated. A study was conducted in Quebec by an environmentalist who is also an economist. He believes that the price of gas will go up by about 1 cent per litre. When one considers that, in the Montreal area, the price of gas can vary from 69 cents one day to nearly 80 cents the next day, a 1 cent per litre increase will have no impact whatsoever on the economy.
We must see the bigger picture. Maybe a few jobs will be lost, but I do not think that number will be significant. There will be a lot of changes to be made in our way of doing things, but there will also be some job creation associated with the implementation of a smart plan—not the one that has been proposed to us—for reaching our Kyoto targets.
It is abundantly clear that the United States is the only country that is directly targeted among industrialized nations. There is a modulation associated with the results in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, depending on the level of development of each country.
For Latin America, it is not the same at all.