Mr. Speaker, we are committed to the aerospace industry in this country. We are committed to Bombardier. We will honour our commitment, but we are not going to shovel the taxpayers' money out without appropriate due diligence being done.
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Aerospace Industry February 9th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, we are committed to the aerospace industry in this country. We are committed to Bombardier. We will honour our commitment, but we are not going to shovel the taxpayers' money out without appropriate due diligence being done.
Aerospace Industry February 9th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, the program is in fact in place. It is called the regional aircraft credit facility. We are negotiating with Bombardier at the moment. We are negotiating on appropriate terms and conditions that will protect the taxpayers of Canada and provide the appropriate assistance to the aerospace industry of Canada, and specifically in this case to Bombardier.
Clothing and Textile Industries February 9th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, we are ahead of the Bloc on this issue. We announced this policy before Christmas. The policy is being implemented. We have extended the duty remission plan. We are ready to take applications to help companies to transform their capital and their plants, and their technology, so those workers can have good paying, secure jobs well into the future.
Clothing and Textile Industries February 9th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, the textile industry, like other industries in this country and elsewhere in the world, is going through a tremendous transformation. This government has reduced tariff inputs for the textile and apparel industry. We put an additional $50 million over five years into helping them to retool, to find new market niches and to put new capital and technology in place. We will have a competitive textile industry here in Canada.
Trade February 9th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, the government has invested $13 billion in science and technology over the last seven years. That is the fundamental way we are going to drive productivity and increase the competitiveness of the Canadian economy. We are dealing with border issues, we are dealing with infrastructure, and my hon. colleague is dealing with trade issues.
Automotive Industry February 4th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, I can confirm to the House that those people's thinking is so inconsistent, they should just sit down. They complain about TPC day after day, yet TPC is one of the key instruments for developing a competitive, strong, dynamic automotive industry in Canada.
Automotive Industry February 4th, 2005
Mr. Speaker, the member knows not of what he speaks. We have had very good discussions with the automotive industry. My colleagues, the Minister of the Environment, the Minister of Natural Resources and myself, as well as other ministers, met this morning with the automotive industry. There is a very constructive solution that we hope will be put in place. The automotive industry will be stronger and stronger as a result.
Shipbuilding February 3rd, 2005
Mr. Speaker, we are carrying out discussions with the shipbuilding industry. We are very interested in developing a long term strategy for the shipbuilding industry. On the matter of the duty, that is a matter for the Minister of Finance.
Industry February 3rd, 2005
Mr. Speaker, the Canadian economy's competitiveness is critical to job creation and job protection in Canada. Our competitiveness is not going to come, as the hon. member across might believe, from becoming a low wage economy. It is going to come from the application of technology. Programs like Technology Partnerships Canada and other programs are going to ensure that technology drives the competitiveness of our economy.
Industry February 3rd, 2005
Mr. Speaker, this government has said right from the beginning, I have said from the beginning and my colleague the Minister of the Environment has said from the beginning that we can achieve Kyoto and we can do it while the Canadian economy is made more and more competitive and that means jobs.