Mr. Speaker, I rise in this House this afternoon to table a petition from my constituents. As we can see, many people are currently coping with the manufacturing and forestry crisis, which has also been identified as an economic and human crisis in our region.
The petitioners are calling on Parliament to intervene by providing programs for communities to support workers and their families, and by providing money to ensure the long-term survival of their economy. The long term does not just mean giving small amounts of money; it means providing the necessary funds to help our workers and their families, and promote economic development, so that our people are no longer dependent on EI and can continue to work and support their families.