Mr. Speaker, the government does not seem to understand how important the aluminum industry is to my region. The Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean region is responsible for 60% of Canada's total production. Production alone accounts for 7,000 jobs. It is the cornerstone of my region's entire industrial sector and a key middle-class employer. Today's news jeopardizes three major aluminum plant expansion projects in my region.
How can the government say it is defending middle-class workers when it is putting Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean aluminum workers at risk?