Mr. Speaker, I know that all of us on this side of the House are concerned about the welfare of all working people and all employers. Our experience in Hamilton has been with large companies like ArcelorMittal Dofasco. The supply chain that extends from that actually creates the ability for small businesses to thrive.
When I worked in Dofasco 50 years ago, it had somewhere between 13,000 and 14,000 employees. I used to get my coffee and sandwich every morning at Muffy's, and then go into work. Through modern technology, downsizing, and the loss of manufacturing jobs, Muffy's and scores of other small businesses like that disappeared.
Without commenting directly on what we may do directly for small businesses, I would say that in a city like Hamilton, with a large industrial complex, we have to ensure that those large companies, in the automotive sector and so on, remain viable to enable the spill-down effect through the supply chain to enable those small businesses to be successful.