Mr. Speaker, in Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean and the other resource-rich regions in Quebec, the forestry industry is struggling. Mills need investments and jobs are precarious. Modernizing the industry is the key, but the Conservative government is not doing enough to build the forestry industry of the future.
Will the government immediately renew the forest sector research and development initiative previously offered by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and replenish funding for the investments in forest industry transformation program? According to the Forest Products Association of Canada, the industry needs $500 million over six years.