Mr. Speaker, between May 23, 2002, and January 23, 2004, the softwood lumber crisis has affected more than 10,000 jobs in Quebec alone. In the week of January 23 alone, more than 1,676 jobs were affected. Regions that rely on the forestry industry are running out of steam and the current attitude of the federal government fuels this sense of despair.
Jobs are lost by the thousands and Quebec sawmills cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel, yet there is no news from the federal government about implementing a real plan for supporting the industry in the affected regions.
The case is not closed. Forestry, industrial, regions and the workers in the lead feel like they have been sent to the front line without being given the means to cope with a prolonged crisis. The federal government has to announce the budget soon for its strategy so that, once free trade resumes, the forestry industry in Quebec will not be death's door.
What we need is loan guarantees for companies, aid for the affected workers, and renewal of the economic diversification program for the affected regions.