I am announcing that all members of the Bloc Québécois will not concur in the estimates. There is a very simple reason for this decision. The estimates are closely related to the entire budget tabled by the Conservative government and supported by the Liberals. As we said when the budget was passed and during debate on the budget, we realized that the budget was not good for Quebec, that it was bad for Quebec. That is why we will be voting against the estimates because the implementation of this budget deprives Quebec of significant means to ensure its development.

A number of reasons justify what I have just said. We have realized that, contrary to the unanimous will expressed on a number of occasions in Quebec's National Assembly, the Conservative budget, once again supported by the Liberals, does not help Quebec at all in the way desired by the National Assembly of Quebec, which unanimously asked for certain measures.

On January 15, 2009, Quebec's National Assembly passed a unanimous motion calling for more help for workers, communities and businesses affected by the downturn, and for significant support for the manufacturing and forestry sectors, which are going through a particularly hard time.

In that regard, the Conservative budget, which was recently increased, was completely unfair. In its budget, the party gave the auto sector nearly $4 billion, and has since increased that amount. Now the auto sector will be getting almost $10 billion.

That same budget allocated just $270 million over three years to the forestry sector across Canada. But in every region of Quebec, forestry companies, paper mills, sawmills and softwood lumber companies are facing serious challenges, and thousands of people have lost their jobs. Yet the Conservative government gave us a budget that ignores them all.

Early this week, the government announced a new measure that Quebec is unanimously against. The government would have us believe that its new measure will solve a bunch of problems, but that is not true. It is not true because what the Conservatives announced will help just eight plants in Quebec, while nearly 50 of them need loan guarantees. The Conservative government is stubbornly insisting that it cannot provide loan guarantees because that would upset the Americans.

The Americans, for their part, are doing as they please, working to help their businesses and standing up for them while this Conservative government, with Liberal support, is not. People in the regions are paying the price. They are the ones having trouble making ends meet and making their mortgage payments. Quebec's forestry sector has been in trouble for a long time now. But the Conservatives have left people in the forestry sector and people in the regions of Quebec to their own devices.

In the motion I talked about earlier, the Quebec National Assembly also asked for improvements to the employment insurance system. There is something that does not make sense in the current situation, since we know that the system's funds were cut drastically in the 1990s by the Liberal government. Nearly $50 billion was taken away from unemployed workers. The Liberals did that, with the Conservatives' support. Now that they have taken and spent the money that belonged to the workers and employers, they are incapable of saying here today that we should give back the money taken from workers who are going through tough times.

But no, no one is doing that. Nothing is being done. We thought for a moment that the Liberals were beginning to wake up. They asked for an EI eligibility threshold of 360 hours. We thought they were perhaps beginning to understand. But that is not the case. They dropped the ball again. We saw the birth of this new coalition between the Conservatives and the Liberals. But once again, the Liberals returned to their normal ways. They tried to project another image, but no one was fooled. They tried to give a different impression, but quickly went back to their old ways.

The Liberals and the Conservatives made a conscious decision to ignore the demands of Quebec. Instead of helping Quebec, they decided to deprive Quebec of substantial means to deal with the crisis. On the contrary—and this is what bothers Quebeckers most about the Liberals, who support the Conservatives, and the Conservatives themselves—they decided to respond to the wishes of Ontario and the west.

The auto sector is in trouble; no one is denying that. However, when one sector is offered $10 billion and another sector is offered only a tenth of that, even though it is also struggling and has just as many workers, that is completely unfair.

The government offered $10 billion to the automotive industry and $1 billion to the forestry industry, which does not even suit the different companies in Quebec. It is completely unfair. It is fortunate that the Bloc Québécois is here now to defend people from the regions, the workers of Quebec, the different companies. We hear them, we understand their needs and we will defend them. We are prepared to put our seats on the line. We will vote against the estimates. The Liberals have wiped themselves out by creating a coalition and a bogus working group that at the end of the day will go nowhere.

This Conservative-Liberal plan is a failure. The unemployment rate is still very high in Quebec—we have heard it is 8.7%—and the second progress report shows that the Conservatives have not even been able to provide what they promised. They are boasting that 80% of the plan is already being implemented. But when we are talking about a plan to support businesses, workers and families during a recession, an economic crisis, 100% of the program should be up and running right now, and that is not the case.

Building Canada, which we have heard so much about, was passed in the 2007 budget. We are still waiting for building Canada projects to be announced and carried out. It makes no sense. Here is an example. We are still waiting for the Super PEPS in Quebec City, which was announced as part of the building Canada program.

We saw what happened this week with this new coalition. I think that the people of Quebec realize that the Liberals and the Conservatives are one and the same and always will be.

They said that they would fight for the unemployed who were going to starve this summer, but the following day they sat down and said they would create a working group. In the meantime, the people they said would starve during the summer have nothing. They just hope these people will not starve while waiting, but it will be fall before we see any concrete action.

And even then, the working group will submit its report in the fall, but how long will it take before anything happens? What does the government, supported by the Liberals, really want to offer to Quebeckers, to people who are struggling? One has to wonder.

I repeat; we will be voting against the estimates.

12:55 p.m.

NDP

The Acting Speaker NDP Denise Savoie

The hon. member for Vancouver East is rising on a point of order.

12:55 p.m.

NDP

Libby Davies NDP Vancouver East, BC

Madam Speaker, as you know, earlier on a point of order the House was very co-operative and agreed to extend the time for petitions, this being the last day. We did that and everybody very much appreciated it.

As it stands now with the estimates debate, the bells are scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. for a vote at 1:15 p.m., the NDP will lose its spot. I would like to ask the House to further co-operate. I seek unanimous consent to extend the debate on the estimates for 10 minutes and forego the questions and comments to allow the NDP a speaking spot on the estimates.

12:55 p.m.

NDP

The Acting Speaker NDP Denise Savoie

Is there unanimous consent?

12:55 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

No.

12:55 p.m.

NDP

Jim Maloway NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB

Madam Speaker, I have more of a comment than a question.

The President of the Treasury Board and member for Provencher have elevated the replacement of the Letellier Bridge in his riding over the higher priority Disraeli Bridge rehabilitation in Winnipeg. Over 6,500 people have signed petitions protesting the 16-month closure of this major Winnipeg artery, carrying over 40,000 cars per day and affecting over 100,000 people in the northeast part of the city.

There will be 40,000 cars rushing through the Elmwood side streets to get to single-lane bridges like Redwood or the Louise Bridge from Transcona or the Watts Street-Archibald route to St. Boniface. Drivers who use any of these routes, not just the Disraeli, should be prepared for gridlock every day and area residents should be prepared for cars speeding down their back lanes—

12:55 p.m.

NDP

The Acting Speaker NDP Denise Savoie

Order. I must interrupt the member to allow the hon. member a chance to make a quick comment.

12:55 p.m.

Bloc

Jean-Yves Laforest Bloc Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC

Madam Speaker, I listened to the question and, if I have understood correctly, the member is talking about a problem in his riding regarding transportation. We also noticed during the spring that the government was boasting about 80% of the projects being implemented already. We see that there was poor planning and poor organization. I completely agree with him that efforts were not made to ensure that it would all come about in an orderly fashion in order for the work to be completed in a reasonable period of time.

1 p.m.

NDP

The Acting Speaker NDP Denise Savoie

It being one o'clock, pursuant to order made on Thursday, June 13, 2009, it is my duty to interrupt the proceedings and put forthwith every question necessary to dispose of the supply proceedings.

Call in the members.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #95

1:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

I declare the motion carried.

1:25 p.m.

Provencher Manitoba

Conservative

Vic Toews ConservativePresident of the Treasury Board

moved:

That the main estimates for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2010, less the amounts voted in Interim Supply, be concurred in.

1:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

1:25 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

No.

1:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

All those in favour of the motion will please say yea.

1:25 p.m.

Some hon. members

Yea.

1:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

All those opposed will please say nay.

1:25 p.m.

Some hon. members

Nay.

1:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

In my opinion, the yeas have it.

And five or more members having risen:

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #96

1:35 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Peter Milliken

I declare the motion carried.