Mr. Speaker, according to several analysts, Quebec's manufacturing sector could lose over 25,000 jobs this year.
The Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology tabled a report on new challenges facing the manufacturing sector. “Moving Forward - Rising to the Challenge” recommends that the federal government take action on issues such as trade and research and development policy to protect the jobs that are at stake.
But this government is still refusing to act because it thinks that the free market will fix everything and that government intervention will just hobble industry.
As the committee recommended in its report, the government should act quickly to stimulate corporate modernization and use the international trade tools at its disposal to give our industries the time and the tools they need to adapt and take on new challenges.