Mr. Speaker, a few months ago, I informed the House that 360 workers at the Camoplast factory in Roxton Falls in my riding will lose their jobs in July 2013. That means nearly one-quarter of the people in the town will have to find new jobs.
In the current economic context, it is hard for people to find jobs. There are many factors that make it even more difficult for the Camoplast workers. Many of them are close to retirement, which will make it much more difficult to find a new job.
In reaction to the announcement of the almost complete closure of the factory and the loss of jobs in the industrial sector in general, the Acton local development centre noted that it is becoming increasingly difficult to contain the relocation phenomenon. The number of industrial sector jobs in Canada has plummetted in the past few years because they are being relocated to emerging countries. It is even more difficult when a company that grew and prospered in a region moves so that it can hire workers at lower wages. This phenomenon is affecting many regions of Quebec and Canada.
Obviously, it will be hard for these 360 Camoplast workers to find new jobs, not to mention the 500 employees in the greater area who will be affected by the outsourcing of the BRP assembly plants in Valcourt and Sherbrooke.
I talked to the mayor of Roxton Falls this week to get an update on the plant and the employees. He told me that he was working with the local development centre on finding new contracts for the plant. For now, they do not have any good news to share with the employees.
Ironically, the plant is also struggling with a labour shortage since the employees are leaving their jobs to find other work before the plant closes. I understand why they are doing that. I would do the same if I were them.
In June, I asked the government to explain its plan to protect manufacturing jobs. The Minister of Industry answered with the same talking points we have been hearing for some time now: the government has an economic action plan to create jobs; it encourages investment by lowering taxes and fees; it offers hiring credits for recruitment.
There is nothing in the minister's answer to reassure one-quarter of the people of Roxton Falls, not to mention the families that will be affected by the plant's closure.
Perhaps by asking clearer questions we might get clearer answers. Can the minister tell us which of the Quebec economic development and Canada Economic Development programs the municipality of Roxton Falls can use to attract other contracts to the region and create jobs? Do any programs exist that could meet the needs of this municipality and others that are in a similar situation?