Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to the member for Sackville—Eastern Shore, who has been the foremost advocate for shipbuilding workers across the country and the foremost advocate for having a national shipbuilding strategy here in Canada. He has done real honour in the House by his actions.
The workers, the owners, and every single representative and witness representing the shipbuilding industry have told us time and time again in committee, “This will kill us”. Every single one said it.
Yet Liberals, Conservatives and Bloc members have said they don't care. They have some airy-fairy approach to the George W. Bush style of free trade, and they think it has to work, even though there are no economic impact statements at all to justify it. They just figure that somehow Canada is going to come out ahead. That is just not good enough for the hard-working shipbuilding workers across this country from coast to coast.
Every other country does this. As the member mentioned, the Jones Act protects the United States' shipbuilding industry so that the U.S.A. can continue to build it in a very viable way. This one kills the shipbuilding industry with 1,000 cuts instantly. As soon as it is approved, it shuts off certain sectors from Canadians in terms of being able to build ships, and that continues until the inexorable end of our shipbuilding industry.
The member for Sackville—Eastern Shore asked a very intelligent question. The reality is that every member of the House should be standing up to vote for this NDP amendment.