Mr. Chair, the thrust of the hon. member's speech was that this is a 10 year program that expires at the end of this month and that somehow or another the government is to blame that this program is to expire.
Can she honestly say that there is not a person in this industry that did not know that this program was to expire at the end of this month? Is there a CEO of any of these industries who did not know that this program was to expire at the end of this month? Is there any union leader that did not know that this was to expire at the end of the this month?
It is curious to blame the government because this program was to expire at the end of this month. The taxpayers of Canada are effectively subsidizing an industry. A duty remission order is nothing other than the Government of Canada providing $26 million, in this case, to buy down the cost of the units that go into the production of apparels and textiles.
Similarly, the tariff protection of $75 million and $15 million is nothing other than protection for an industry which was scheduled to expire. The $30 million provided for adjustment programs is nothing other than money from the taxpayers of Canada to provide protection to the workers of this industry.
Would the member prefer that this program just continue on in perpetuity? Or would she prefer that these programs come to an end? I would like to know what she prefers. Would she prefer it to be scaled down over time or would she prefer the method that the previous government chose which was to simply end it and end it on a particular date?
Given the ideological views of her party, presumably she prefers something in the order of the taxpayers of Canada not supporting particular industries.