Mr. Speaker, it is rather unfortunate to hear the member's comments about the Gaspé. I clearly remember how the hon. member, who exercised other responsibilities in another life, bragged about having played a key role in the Gaspé recovery plan; he made sure that $70 million dollars would be not invested but loaned—mark my word, loaned—even though $110 million had been requested. We had to wait 18 months to receive this answer.
To that extent, if there is a fiasco, it is due to the manner in which the federal government, the department and its minister, handled the Gaspé file at the time, that is, by dragging their feet before making an announcement. Moreover, they have provided much less money than was anticipated, making it a lot more difficult for investors, the people who wanted this recovery plan and who believed in it.
Why was the Gaspé recovery plan credible back then, and is now being dismissed out of hand? This makes no sense.