Stockwell Day

[Forestry Industry, March 12th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc continues to mislead the public and forestry workers. Nothing is happening in London.

If the Bloc members cannot even get the details right about where these deliberations are taking place and they do not even know in what city they are taking place, how can we trust them on any other information they are putting out there?

EDC is there with provisions for financing, for bonds, for credit insurance. We have programs for workers. We have work share programs. We are helping the workers. The Bloc should forget about the lawyers and start helping the workers.

[Forestry Industry, March 12th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I was pleased to receive a letter from my counterpart this morning because I invited him yesterday to meet with our representatives from Export Development Canada.

He said that he wanted to meet with them to learn about and have a greater understanding of programs available to the forestry industry. We will be meeting with him.

[Forestry Industry, March 12th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, day after day the leader of the Bloc Québécois gets up in the House and focuses on something that is going on in the courtroom. There are two cases in which the question of loan guarantees is being taken up.

He can spend his time hanging around the courtrooms and hanging around the lawyers, but we are out there on the street and in the forestry industry with those companies that are needing help.

Through EDC, for instance, there is credit insurance available. There are financing agreements available. There are bond provisions through our various ministries and itemized in the budget. There is a wide range of programs for forestry companies and for workers.

We are there helping the workers. Those members should get out of the courtroom and help us in reaching the workers.

[Mining Industry, March 11th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the government takes this situation and corporate social responsibility seriously. That is why I can assure my friend that soon, we will see that our strategy will give Canada's extractive industry something more to think about.

[Canada-U.S. Relations, March 11th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, as we all know and as my colleague across the way knows very well, the free trade agreement between Canada and the United States has produced tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars worth of trade.

Even within an agreement like that, there will be times when an American company may legitimately get a contract in Canada. However, even more important for us, there are many times when Canadian companies get contracts in the United States.

We will be monitoring all of these to ensure the Americans play by the rules all the way.

[Forestry Industry, March 10th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, of course we have an ideology: it is to provide support to workers, to people who are currently experiencing difficulties.

What do we hear day in and day out from Bloc members? We hear about problems with lawyers and courts. We on this side are concerned about programs that work, programs that will help companies and workers in Quebec and across Canada.

[Forestry Industry, March 10th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the majority of business leaders in the forestry industry are involved and are cooperating with Export Development Canada to get some support, some financing for their companies and workers. Once again, it is us who are concerned about workers' needs, unlike Bloc Québécois members who are concerned about the needs of bankers and lawyers.

[Forestry Industry, March 10th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, every day in the House, we hear about the Bloc's concerns about what lawyers working these forestry-related cases need. We do not really care about the lawyers' needs; we care about forestry industry workers' needs. That is why we have programs for them.

[Export Development Canada, March 9th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the Canada Account Annual Report for 2007-08, which is prepared by Export Development Canada.

Also, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I am pleased to table, in both official languages, the Canada Account Annual Report 2006-07, prepared by Export Development Canada.

[Forestry Industry, March 9th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the minister is right and the hon. Bloc member is wrong. Right now, the industry has two cases before the court, which will hear them and issue its ruling.

That said, I invite the hon. Bloc member to meet with Export and Development officials. He will learn that there are many ways to deal with this issue, and many programs available to forestry companies. So, I invite him to arrange a meeting with these officials.