Mr. Speaker, I rise here in the House again this evening because I would really like to understand why, after more than three years of this Conservative government, Canadians have seen the loss of over 20,000 jobs in the forestry sector. Small communities in Quebec, Atlantic Canada, Ontario and British Columbia have been hit the hardest.
At present, even the giants of the forestry industry, such as AbitibiBowater, are suffering from this government's mismanagement.
On March 10, 2009, the House passed a motion to help the forestry sector in Quebec and elsewhere. As we all know, the Conservatives opposed the motion.
This government continues to talk about measures introduced in its 2009 budget, measures that would provide $170 million over two years. Unfortunately, that money only serves to extend programs that are obsolete and ill-suited to the needs of the forestry sector in this crisis period.
The forestry industy does not expect the government to come up with a magical solution. It merely wants a responsible government that will save jobs today and create jobs for tomorrow. The forestry sector also wants the government to ensure that any aid that is provided is shared equally among the regions, does not create more debt and protects this already vulnerable industry.
Forestry industry representatives are not asking for a bailout. What they want is help to break into new, lucrative markets in China and India, and funding to support research and development on new products.
Liberals believe in delivering a real plan for Canada's forestry sector. We believe in a national plan that serves all communities and workers equally. The government currently has no plan and no vision for this struggling sector.
In 2005 a Liberal government announced a real plan for the forestry sector that addressed the issues at the heart of what the forestry sector is looking for: loans, support for research, new technologies, skills development, and community adjustment. The Conservative government cancelled that plan upon forming government in 2006.
Three years later, the Conservatives still have no plan. The government's inaction, its inability to come up with a complete plan for the struggling forestry sector, is forcing the provinces to go it alone, with no promise whatsoever of help from Ottawa. Worse still, this government is now accusing the opposition of not having proposed either an action plan or any ideas. We had a plan, we had a project, and the present government, for political and ideological reasons, cancelled those initiatives and left the forestry sector in danger.
The Conservatives' lack of perspective has led to the crisis, which has deprived a very large number of Canadians of employment. The Conservatives continue to defend their failed softwood lumber agreement. The Conservative government had stated that this agreement would put an end to disputes and yet Canada is once more before the courts.
What will it take to make the government see that the forestry sector is in crisis? Jobs are being lost, businesses are closing, and communities are suffering.
We no longer need to ask that question, “If a tree falls in the forest does anybody hear?”, because there are no more trees falling. Plants are closing, and a flourishing industry rooted deep in our history and our identity is in peril.
The forestry sector is an integral component of our history. We need go no further than the foyer of this place and look up. The ceiling is decorated in each corner with motifs representing mining, agriculture, fishing and forestry. Many governments prior to this one deemed it necessary to underscore the importance of the forestry sector. But this one no longer believes in it and will do nothing to maintain and strengthen this essential part of our heritage.
Does the entire industry have to collapse before this government reacts? The time for action is now. We need leadership urgently. It is time to take action.