Mr. Speaker, the Davie Shipyard is one of the best shipyards in North America, perhaps even one of the best in the world, but what good is having the best shipyard in North America if no ships are being built there? Liberal inaction could cost the Davie shipyard 600 jobs by the end of November and as many as 800 jobs if nothing is done by Christmas. Workers are worried, and the National Assembly is too, because Ottawa is doing nothing.
In Quebec City today, Quebec parliamentarians unanimously adopted the following motion:
That the National Assembly recognize the expertise of the Davie Shipyard in Lévis;
That it call on the federal government to adjust its national shipbuilding strategy to ensure that Quebec receives its fair share of federal contracts; and
That the National Assembly call on the federal government to award Quebec the contracts associated with its plan to replace Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy ships, which includes the acquisition of a second Resolve-class oiler replenishment ship.
We hope that, for once, Ottawa will listen. If the federal government does nothing, it alone will be responsible for the loss of hundreds of jobs between now and Christmas.