Mr. Speaker, I welcome the new member for Rimouski.
He has spoken a great deal about the forestry sector. As he is well aware, there has in fact been an alliance between the Conservatives, the Liberals and the Bloc, with a view to advancing the softwood lumber agreement. As he also is well aware, I am sure, the softwood lumber agreement resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of jobs across Canada, thousands in Quebec in regions like Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Mauricie, the Outaouais and Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean. As well, it has severely hobbled the Government of Quebec when it comes to anything to do with forestry. Now it cannot act without Washington's approval.
Nevertheless, the Bloc Québécois did support that agreement, and as a result Quebec can no longer act when it comes to forestry.
I am certain that the new member has realized it was a monumental mistake on the part of the Bloc to have supported the Conservative Party in an area in which Quebec has effectively lost its jurisdiction as well as thousands of jobs. Now the Bloc leader is blaming the unions, blaming Guy Chevrette, blaming anybody and everybody, but it must be admitted that some of the responsibility lies here.
Can the hon. member acknowledge that it was a mistake to have supported this agreement, which has had such costly repercussions?