Mr. Speaker, the Department of National Defence and Public Works and Government Services Canada are about to kill Tannerie des Ruisseaux of Saint-Pascal-de-Kamouraska, which, incidentally, is the last tannery in Quebec and Canada.
How so? By considering waving the 55% Canadian content requirement for army contracts, when they are under absolutely no obligation to do so under NAFTA or the WTO. Could the Minister of Public Works and Government Services give us the assurance that he will enforce the Canadian content rule in the award of contracts for the manufacturing of temperate combat boots for soldiers, thereby ensuring that 50 jobs are maintained at Tannerie des Ruisseaux?