Labour  Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and the Liberal Party presented themselves as strong supporters of our workers, but in the first year of their term of office, they voted against increasing the minimum wage to $15 and rejected the NDP's anti-scab bill. By voting against my bill, the Prime Minister refused to guarantee and respect workers' right to collective bargaining.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I am going to make a comment. I do not believe that paying the Americans $1 billion, at the expense of the Canadian industry, is indicative of a good Canada-U.S. relationship. We are not necessarily getting a better agreement if we have to pay money to the Americans.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. I would simply like to remind him that when the Conservative government was in power, it cost the forestry industry $1 billion. We want a deal to be signed, but at what price? I hope it will not be on the backs of our workers or at the industry's expense.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her speech. We are running out of time here today. What worries me most are jobs. Time is also running out on the negotiations. The more time passes, the more our jobs are at risk. We are afraid that come January, February, or March, the Americans are going to impose another surtax on our industry.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. I was very pleased to hear him talk about regional differences. As members know, Quebec has worked extremely hard to build a forestry regime and it is important that the government recognize that. Over the course of the day, we have seen that the government recognizes Quebec's uniqueness, which is very important.

Softwood Lumber  Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have not yet managed to sign a new softwood lumber agreement, and now the deadline has passed. This summer, the government hinted that an agreement was in sight, but the fact is that our forestry industry will be suffering because of more U.S. tariffs.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his speech. We both represent a riding in the Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean area, which is a forestry region. We have the same problems since our ridings are right next door to each other. It is true that a good negotiated agreement would be a good thing, but I would like my colleague to elaborate on what such an agreement might consist of.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her very informative speech. I think everyone in the House would agree that we need a good deal. To send a clear message, I want to hear my colleague's thoughts on something. If the government were already showing strong leadership by having a plan B, such as a loan guarantee program, for example, what impact would that have on the negotiations, and how might that affect the outcome if the matter ends up in court?

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her speech. I learned a lot about the forestry industry in her riding. As I have said in the House many times, the forestry industry provides over 5,000 jobs in Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean. I am also concerned about the industry's problems.

Standing Orders and Procedure  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. The topic of Friday sittings is compelling but also worrisome. As my colleague mentioned in his speech, if we do not sit on Fridays, would Thursday not become the new Friday? It is a question worth asking. Would ministers start leaving Ottawa Wednesday afternoon?

Standing Orders and Procedure  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, who is a very active member of the House. I often work closely with him. His office is next to mine. His questions are very relevant. I have more of a comment I want to make after hearing his presentation. I have been following question period for many years.

Status of Women  Mr. Speaker, it is 2016. Yesterday, the government told Canadian women that they would have to wait a bit longer for equality. Pay equity is a fundamental right. Canadian women have already waited far too long for their rights to be respected. The pay equity task force released its report on this 12 years ago.

Softwood Lumber  Mr. Speaker, there are only seven days left before the deadline and there is still no softwood lumber agreement in sight. Yesterday, the Minister of International Trade was unable to tell us whether the government was working on a plan B to support the forestry industry. Forestry workers, whose jobs are in jeopardy, are wondering whether the government will support them.

Softwood Lumber  Mr. Speaker, yesterday, instead of telling the forestry industry about her plan B for softwood lumber, the minister blamed the previous government for her inability to reach a new agreement with the United States. With just eight days until the deadline, the industry wants to see the government's backup plan.

Softwood Lumber  Mr. Speaker, with just nine days until the old deal expires, all indications are that the Liberals will not be able to reach a new softwood lumber deal with the Americans. In any case, that is what the forestry industry is expecting, and it is preparing for its exports to be taxed.