Paul Crête

[Manufacturing and Forestry Industries, January 30th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, there is nothing preventing the government from acting now. It does need any signature to do so, nor does it need to wait for the budget. After blackmailing parliamentarians with his announcement a month ago, when he made it conditional on the budget getting through, he is now going even further by saying that he needs the provinces' signatures to free up those funds.

Nobody is fooled. The only thing that is missing here is the political will to implement this initiative. What is he waiting for to provide the necessary funds to our manufacturing and forestry industries?

[Manufacturing and Forestry Industries, January 30th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, in response to a question that I put to him, the Prime Minister said: “—the hon. member asked a question about a community development trust. The government has no reason to delay granting this money.” Yet, when this fund was announced, the Prime Minister said that he had to wait for the budget to grant the money.

My question is simple. Will the Prime Minister act now, without waiting for the budget? Will he introduce a bill to implement an assistance plan, for which the manufacturing and forestry industries have an urgent need?

[Manufacturing and Forestry Industries, January 29th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, during his announcement, the Prime Minister made unacceptable links between that announcement and the budget vote.

Does he now reject that position? Will he have more sympathy from now on for the tens of thousands of workers in the regions hardest hit by the crises in the manufacturing and forestry sectors? Will he introduce this improved assistance plan proposed by the Bloc Québécois without further delay? The government must not wait until budget time to free up the money that the regions need immediately.

[Manufacturing and Forestry Industries, January 29th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Premier of Quebec demanded increased assistance for the manufacturing and forestry sectors. I quote: “—this federal payment should be introduced into Parliament immediately and not be subject to the approval of a federal budget”.

Following his economic statement, the Minister of Finance did not wait until the next budget to try to pass his tax measures. Since there is nothing to stop the government from taking immediate action, especially considering the $11.6 billion surplus expected this year, what is the Minister of Finance waiting for to introduce a bill to immediately implement a better assistance plan, which the manufacturing and forestry sectors so desperately need?

[January 28th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, today, the Premier of Quebec and the Premier of Ontario stated that it was essential that the money be available immediately and that more money be added to these funds.

The Conservative government's initial response is not enough. The government needs to go further, quickly, so that the money can be made available as soon as possible to the municipalities and regions affected by the crises. This money should not be tied to the next budget.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance assure me that the government has moved on this and will make the money available and that it will table a bill in the next few hours or days to make that money available to everyone? The government must respond to the economic slowdown Canada is experiencing and the crisis in the forestry and manufacturing industries.

In December, the Minister of Finance was still saying that everything was rosy. He was wearing his rose-coloured glasses. In January, the government admitted that there was a problem. Today, the government has to admit that action is urgently needed now. The money must be available immediately so that the members of this House can discuss amounts—

[January 28th, 2008]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today in reference to the question I asked on December 13, 2007, regarding the importance of an action plan for the manufacturing and forestry industries. At that time, the Minister of Finance was telling us that all was going well, that everything was rosy, that all measures in place were perfect and that there was no need for additional measures.

As for the Prime Minister, he came to Rivière-du-Loup during that period. He talked a little about the fact that the situation maybe was not quite as rosy and that perhaps announcements should be made before the budget. In January, he announced that $1 billion was available for economic diversification of the regions.

Until now, this could be considered interesting news. However, there is a problem. Two things are unacceptable. First, the amount is definitely not enough. $1 billion in Canada to resolve the entire issue of economic diversification and to deal with the crisis in the manufacturing and forestry industries is just not enough. What made Quebeckers really angry was that the Prime Minister decided to tie this to the next budget even though he had been told for several months that it was important to make monies available quickly.

Then the Conservative government decided to announce that the money will be made available if the next budget is passed, and that an agreement will have to be reached with the province. Yet the crisis has now been going on for months.

Why did the government not do what it did in December following the economic statement, when it tabled a bill to cut the GST and follow through on a number of other things in that statement? The opposition cooperated, and everything was passed before Christmas.

Why did the Conservative government fail to take such quick action to help communities, businesses and older workers who need help and who have been affected by the crisis in the forestry and manufacturing sectors? Why is the government unwilling to demonstrate the same degree of flexibility and speed of execution in this case? That is unacceptable.

The Leader of the Bloc Québécois suggested bringing the House back earlier in January, but that suggestion was rejected. Now we are back in the House for the first time this year, and the government is still in a position to move forward and announce that it will introduce a bill and debate it to see how much money should be invested in this plan.

The Bloc Québécois is pleased that its persistence has finally resulted in an announcement. However, the plan has to be reasonable, logical, sufficient and, most importantly, it has to be implemented quickly. That is my goal in raising the issue once again.

The Conservative government should heed the angry protests of the people affected by the crisis in the manufacturing and forestry sectors, reverse its decision, announce that the money will be made available quickly, and introduce a bill in this House so that we can pass it without delay, as we have done in the past for measures that we believed to be essential.

It is possible for members of the House to cooperate on issues like this. The Conservative government has no reason to make this promise contingent on the next budget being passed. The current proposal is for $1 billion from the $243 billion budget for all of Canada. Will the government introduce its bill, open the debate on increasing that amount, and ensure that the money will be made available as soon as possible?

[Manufacturing and Forestry Industries, December 13th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, what the minister does not seem to realize is that at the forestry summit all of Quebec has put forward as its very first recommendation that the federal government provide immediate assistance to the forestry industry.

The forestry industry needs an injection of $1 billion from this year's surplus. Will he listen to the unanimous demand of Quebec and help the forestry industry immediately?

[Manufacturing and Forestry Industries, December 13th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, at a meeting with his Quebec and provincial counterparts, the Minister of Finance missed another opportunity—after the Speech from the Throne and the economic statement—to announce tangible short-term measures to help the manufacturing and forestry industries, which are in desperate need of assistance. The minister should understand that the tax cuts he keeps talking about are not a solution for businesses that are not generating a profit and therefore not paying taxes. I hope he will understand that once and for all.

Given the expected $11.6 billion surplus, does the minister realize that his failure to act is scandalous, that he must act now and that he has the means to do so?

[Forestry Industry, December 12th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, clearly, this is not working. In no way has this money produced the expected results.

Following on the heels of the unions and the forest producers' associations, the Union des municipalités du Québec is saying the government must help the forestry sector. Everyone is saying that it is irresponsible to use the entire surplus to pay down the debt. If the minister is short of ideas, I invite him to adopt the Bloc Québécois' proposals to help the forestry sector, such as the refundable tax credit for research and development and loan guarantees for machinery purchases.

Will he do so? Will he shoulder his responsibilities and give a chance to the forestry sector, which truly deserves one?

[Forestry Industry, December 12th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, for two days, participants in the forestry summit taking place in Quebec City have been looking for solutions to help the forestry industry, which is going through an unprecedented crisis. During the prebudget tour I just did in all the regions of Quebec, all the stakeholders in Shawinigan, Gatineau, Cabano and Saguenay told us that the $1 billion the Bloc Québécois is suggesting that the government invest in forestry is absolutely necessary and is one of those solutions.

Does the Minister of Finance, who has the resources, plan to take advantage of his meeting with his counterparts today to announce that he will commit the $1 billion needed to help the forestry sector, which is in dire need?