Mr. Speaker, it is certainly my pleasure to respond to the member for Madawaska—Restigouche.
The member is misinforming Canadians. There are no plans to relocate existing HRSDC employees in New Brunswick and no permanent existing HRSDC employees are losing their jobs. His constituents deserve to hear the facts, and not fearmongering.
As with any organization, Service Canada regularly reviews staffing to ensure that Canadians are provided with the best service possible and that taxpayer dollars are used efficiently and effectively. Our government is committed to ensuring that all Canadians across the country, regardless of what region, have timely access to benefits and are provided with excellent service.
Let me clear. There are no plans to relocate existing HRSDC employees in New Brunswick and no permanent existing HRSDC employees will lose their jobs. Service Canada employees are working hard to ensure that Canadians access their benefits and to provide information on a wide range of government programs and services. They are to be applauded for their work.
The member for Madawaska—Restigouche says that he is concerned about protecting jobs in rural New Brunswick. His actions do not match his words. Our Conservative government, through the economic action plan, is creating and protecting jobs right across the country and we are helping Canadian get the skills they need for the jobs of tomorrow. For example, our unprecedented investments in infrastructure and housing are creating jobs and improving communities right across our great country of Canada. In addition, over one million Canadians received access to skills training last year alone, thanks to our government's record investment.
The economic action plan also enhanced the work-sharing program which, since February 2009, has protected jobs of over 255,000 Canadians. There are currently 600 jobs being protected in the member's province of New Brunswick. Budget 2010 extended the work-sharing program an additional year. Shockingly, the Liberals and that member did not support it. They did not support protecting the jobs of Canadians so they could continue to put food on the table for their families.
What matters most is that our investments are showing results. Last month alone, 18,000 new jobs were created. March marked the sixth month of job gains in the past eight months. Since 2009, Canada has created almost 180,000 new jobs. The member should be helping us create and protect jobs in his riding instead of misinforming Canadians.
The member for Madawaska—Restigouche also says that he cares about rural Canadians. Do his actions match his words? For example, an issue that is very important for rural Canadians is the gun registry. There is currently a private member's bill put forth by a Conservative member to scrap it. At second reading, the member voted in support of the bill to get rid of the registry. He voted to scrap the long gun registry because his constituents, like mine, did not support it.
However, his leader has now said that he will force all Liberal members to vote to keep the registry, even if it is against the wishes of their constituents. Will the member defy his leader and stand with his constituents or not? Will the member listen to his constituents, who elected him and vote to scrap the ineffective and wasteful long gun registry, or will he follow the Liberal leader, who is out of touch with rural Canadians and wants to punish law-abiding citizens.
The record of the Liberal Party speaks for itself. The Liberals are out of touch with the needs of rural Canadians. The fact is no federal government has done more for rural Canadians than our government, and it is only our Conservative government that will continue to stand up for rural Canada.