Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking the hon. member for Calgary Nose Hill for requesting this emergency debate. I also welcome the speech of the Leader of the Opposition with whom I share many of the ideas that have been mentioned.
The Liberals have obviously set the table for an election. In this context, the major element that will determine whether there will be an election or not, the crux of the matter, is the vaccine. The vaccine is produced neither in Quebec nor in Canada, and yet, just 15 years ago, the pharmaceutical industry was one of the flagships of Quebec's economy. This is no longer the case since a Paul Martin government suspended technology partnerships Canada, the risk-sharing investment program, and Stephen Harper's Conservatives abolished it.
Should there be an election this year, will the Leader of the Opposition commit to re-creating this program so that the pharmaceutical industry can once again become one of Quebec's flagships and ensure domestic vaccine production?