Mr. Speaker, we already know that the Brunswick mine in northeastern New Brunswick will shutting down in five or six years, leaving 1,000 people without jobs.
Yesterday we learned that the Noranda smelter in Belledune will lay off 70 workers in July and cut back its operations to eight months of the year. Some people are talking about salary losses of over $3.5 million a year.
My question is for the Deputy Prime Minister. Is the government prepared to invest in infrastructure such as roads and natural gas pipelines to offset the effects of job losses and the economic repercussions in northeastern New Brunswick?