Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to speak to this issue. I want to congratulate my colleague from the Bloc Quebecois.
I am very pleased to rise to speak in support of this bill. There was no hesitation whatsoever coming from Atlantic Canada and coming from the Progressive Conservative Party in lending our unfettered support for this motion.
Shipbuilding has had a long and proud history in Atlantic Canada and throughout the country. My riding of Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough has played a major role in the shipbuilding industry in Nova Scotia and around the world, particularly in the days of wood, wind and sail. The tradition has been carried on through the recent efforts of MM Industra in Pictou, Nova Scotia.
MM Industra constructs some of the finest yachts in the world and is contributing greatly to the local economy in revitalizing the historic Pictou shipyard.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada has been clear and consistent in its call for a national shipbuilding program. The government has yet to commit, in typical Liberal fashion, to Atlantic Canada, which led of course to its very poor showing in the election results of 1997.
Our party supports Bill C-213, an act to promote shipbuilding, which was introduced in the previous parliament as Bill C-493 by the hon. member for Lévis-et-Chutes-de-la-Chaudière. The bill does not involve direct government subsidies, as has been previously suggested, but rather it proposes tax measures which would create jobs and move toward a more productive and co-operative business atmosphere.
The bill essentially asks for three measures, which are called for as well by the Canadian Shipbuilding Association. First, the thorough establishment of a program whereby a maximum of 87.5% of the money borrowed by a company from financial institutions to purchase a commercial ship which would be built in a shipyard located in Canada would be guaranteed by the federal government. Second, it would bear a rate of interest comparable to other available loans from financial institutions. Third, it would be repayable on terms compatible with those usually granted by financial institutions to large and financially strong corporations.
There are a number of very positive aspects to the bill. It is aimed at enhancing the age old industry which has been very productive for Atlantic Canada and for other parts of the country.
Many Canadians in coastal regions have wondered why Ottawa has done nothing in this regard after other countries continue to announce and reannounce their support for shipbuilding in their countries. The government tries to rest on its laurels but the reality is that it does not have any to rest on. The government's legacy, which is becoming very tired, stagnant and arrogant—we know the terms—shows no vision. It rewards mediocrity. It prefers to do nothing, which is what it is bringing forward now.
It is ironic that an Atlantic Liberal report entitled “Catching Tomorrow's Wave” tabled in November 1999 stated that the Atlantic Canadian economy is hitting an all-time low and part of the solution to the problem is to bring the shipbuilding industry back up to its potential and proven strength by adopting a new national shipbuilding policy. Not a single member from Atlantic Canada on the Liberal benches had anything to say about this private member's bill, not a word. It is very curious that they have decided not to participate in the debate.
The Prime Minister shrugs and says “Higher taxes? Better jobs in the States? Go ahead and leave”. The same approach is taken when it comes to an important industry like shipbuilding. Shipyard workers are suffering and so are the spin-off industries and the Liberal government has chosen to do nothing.
It is like the Liberal promises on all kinds of other issues. It is like the dense fog before the election; after the writ is dropped and the election is over, it disappears. It evaporates. That is what we have come to expect from the Liberal government.
