Madam Speaker, first of all, let me thank the hon. member for his excellent speech.
Minutes ago, I was with some representatives from the CSN and the FTQ. They showed me, and the press, the problems they have with employment in Abitibi, in the Gaspé, on the North Shore and in the Saguenay--Lac-Saint-Jean region. In the latter, at Abitibi-Consolidated alone, some 1,600 jobs are threatened.
Given that reality, how can the member explain what the Minister for International Trade said last week—and he did not withdraw his words—when he stated that the job losses in the softwood lumber industry were due to normal restructuring?