Mr. Speaker, the Liberals may be excited about breaking for Christmas in the first week in November, but there is one thing I want every Liberal to think about as they scurry away to their winter hideouts.
This week, the community of Grande Cache, located in my riding, found out unexpectedly that its sawmill will be permanently closing its doors, putting 156 people out of work. This is the largest private employer left in Grande Cache after the closure of a coal mine two years ago.
It did not have to be this way. I put the blame squarely on the shoulders of Liberal incompetence and the mishandling of the softwood lumber file and the economy.
Grande Cache has faced economic challenges before and it will again. Its community spirit and determination have already made it a first class retirement community and tourist recreation area.
While it may be too late to save the mill jobs, I hope the human resources minister does whatever she can to help the highly skilled, highly motivated residents of Yellowhead get back to work.
It is unfortunately the least this Liberal government can do.