Mr. Speaker, the government has been following this issue over the past five years. It has been a preoccupation and a concern of the government throughout that period.
We have an employment insurance system available to people who are out of work. I am anxious to see that it works quickly and effectively. At the same time the government is looking at the situation and looking at what other alternatives or other programs are needed in this case.
The government has followed the agreement with the support of the provinces and industry. Our strategy has been one of a unified approach across the country on two fronts: negotiating with the Americans and trying to find a solution.
On one front there was some hope a solution would be found, but it appears now that the Americans were not interested in negotiating and were not interested in hearing our discussions. On the other front was litigation. The government is defending the interest of Canadians and Canadian industry in many ways.